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RETAIL SHOE SALESMENS INSTITUTE 




ifie Educational drammcr Course 

for 6 

^Retail ^hoe^a/esmsn 

FOUNDERS 

NATIONAL SHOE RETAILERS’ ASSOCIATION 




GEOROE W. BAKER SHOE CO.. 
Brooklyn, N. Y. 

BLISS A PERRY OO., 

Nervvburyport, Blass. 

BOOT ft SHOE RECORDER, 
Boston. Blass. 

BRISTOL PATENT LEATHER CO. 
Boston. Blass. 

BROCKTON RAND CO„ 

Brockton. Blass. 

BROWN 8HOB CO., 

8t. Lonls, Mo. 

ARTHUR L. EVANS, 

Boston. Mass. 

L. B. EVANS* SON CO., 

Wakefield. Mass. 

FARNSWORTH, HOYT CO., 

Boston, Mass. 

IIAZBN B. GOODRICH ft CO., 
Haverhill, Mass. 

HAZEN-BROWN CO., 

Boston, Mass. 

HUNT-RANKIN LEATHER CO., 
Boston, Mass. 

GEORGE E. KEITH CO., 

Brockton. Mass. 

KEY9TONE LEATHER CO., 
Philadelphia, Pa. 

MENIHAN CO., 

Roohoster, N. Y. 

MORSE ft BURT CO., 

Brooklyn, N. Y. 

A. E. NETTLETON CO, 

8yraco*e, N. Y. 

PETERS MFO. CO., 

Boston, Mass. 

THOMAS O. PLANT OO.. 

Boston, Mass. 

RICR ft HUTCHINS, TXO 
Boston, Mass. 

SEAMAN8 ft COBS COL, 

Boston, Mass. 

SELBY SHOE CO„ 

Portsmouth, Ohio 

STETSON 8HOP8. INC.. 

South Weymouth, Matt. 

THE SHOE RETAILER, 

Boston, Mass. 

UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO., 
Boston, Mass. 

UNITED STATES RUBBER CO., 
New York, N. Y. 

WIZARD FOOT APPLIANCE CO., 
St. Lonls. Bfo. 

E. T. WRIGHT ft CO., INC., 
Rockland, Mass. 


ALEXANDER ft CO., 
Wheeling. W. Vs 


CHISHOLM SHOD OO., 

Cleveland, Ohio 
COHEN BROTHERS, 

Jacksonville, Fla. 

L. 8. DONALDSON CO., 

Minneapolis, Minn. 

WILLIAM FILENE’S SONS CO., 
Boston, Mass. 

R. H. FYFB ft CO., 

Detroit. Mich. 

A. H. GEUTINO CO., 

Philadelphia, Pa. 

GILCHRIST CO., 

Boston, Mass. 

W. C. GOODWIN. 

Fltchburjr. Maas. 

GUARANTEE SHOE CO.. 

San Antonio, Texas 
F. A. GUINIVAN, 

Philadelphia. Pa. 

A. V. HOLBROOK BOOTERT CO., 
Colombo*. Ohio 
A. H. HOWE ft SONS, 

Boston. Maas. 

JONES. PKTBR80N ft NBWHALL CD . 

Boston. Mass. 

KRUPP ft TTJFFLY, 

Houston, Texas 
LEWI8 ft REILLY, 

8oranton, Pa. 

JOHN A. MEADORS ft SONS, 
Nashville. Term. 

THOMAS F. PEIRCE ft 
Providence, R. L 
POTTER SHOE CO., 

Cincinnati. Ohio 
8HERRON SHOE CO„ 

Memphis. Tenn. 

IV. O. SIMMONS CORP., 

Hartford. Cena. 

8LADE SHOE SHOPS, 

Des Moines, Iowa 

fiTBLLIXG-WICKERSON SHOE CO., 
Antrueta, Oa. 

VAIL* SHOE CO„ 

Kokomo. Ind. 

VAN DEORIFT SHOE CO., 

Los Angeles, Cal. 

VOLK BROS. CO., 

Dallas. Texas ' 

K, W. WATTERS OO., 

Buffalo, N. Y. 

W. W. WILLSON, 

Boston, Mass. 


SON, 




























































































































EDITORIAL COUNCIL 

ARTHUR L. EVANS, Editor in Chief 
GEORGE F. HAMILTON, Managing Editor 

CONSULTANTS 


C. Q. ADAMS, General Manager, 

Bristol Patent Leather Co. 

SEATON ALEXANDER, President, 

Alexander & Co. 

ARTHUR D. ANDERSON, Editor, 

Boot & Shoe Recorder 

C. L. ANDERSON, President, 

Bristol Patent Leather Co. 

T. F. ANDERSON, Secretary, 

New England Shoe & Leather Assn. 

GEORGE W. BAKER, President, 

George W. Baker Shoe Co. 

GEORGE W. BAKER, JR., Sec’y and Treas. 
George W. Baker Shoe Co. 

JOHN A. BARBOUR, President, 

Brockton Rand Co. 

PERLEY E. BARBOUR, Vice-President, 
Brockton Rand Co. 

CHARLES A. BLISS, Treasurer, 

Bliss & Perry Co. 

ELMER J. BLISS, President, 

Regal Shoe Co. 

FRANK J. BRADLEY, President, 

Hazen B. Goodrich & Co. " 

FRANK R. BRIGGS, Treasurer, 

Thomas G. Plant Co. 

E. P. BROWN, President, 

United Shoe Machinery Corp. 

MAX BROWN, President, 

Hazen-Brown Co. 

J. T. BUCKLEY, President, 

Mass. Shoe Retailers’ As3’n. 

JOHN A. BUSH, President, 

Brown Shoe Co. 

FRANK G. BUTTERWORTH, Sales Manager, 
Regal Shoe Co. 

CHARLES T. CAHILL, 

United Shoe Machinery Corp.. 

C. K. CHISHOLM, Firm Member, 

Chisholm Shoe Co. 

F. S. COBB, President, 

Seamans & Cobb Co. 

HENRY W. COOK, Vice-President, 

A. E. Nettleton Co. 

H. T. CONNER, Vice-President, 

George E. Keith Stores Co. 

LOUIS A. COOLIDGE, Treasurer, 

United Shoe Machinery Corp. 

B* D. COX, 

United Shoe Machinery Corp. 


F. F. CUTLER, President, 

The Shoe Retailer 

A. O. DAY, Secretary, 

R. H. Fyfe & Co. 

W. G. DENNISON, Advertising Manager, 
Rice & Hutchins, Inc. 

A. W. DONOVAN, President, 

E. T. Wright & Co., Inc., 

HERBERT J. DUNBAR, President, 
Dunbar Pattern Co. 

W. F. ENRIGHT, 

United States Rubber Co. 

ARTHUR LUCIUS EVANS, Treasurer, 

L. B. Evans’ Son Co. 

MRS. JENNIE L. EVANS, Firm Member, 
Lewis & Reilly 

PERCIVAL B. EVANS, Vice-President, 

L. B. Evans’ Son Co. 

R. H. FYFE, President, 

R. H. Fyfe & Co. 

A. H. GEUTING, Dealer and Ex-President, 
National Shoe Retailers’ Association 

L. H. GILSON, 

Brockton Rand Co. 

W. C. GOODWIN, 

Dealer 

JOHN S. GRIFFITHS, President, 

L. B. Evans’ Son Co. 

F. A. GUINIVAN, 

Orthopedic and Merchandising Specialist 

A. C. HEALD, Treasurer, 

Stetson Shoe Co. 

A. V. HOLBROOK, President, 

A. V. Holbrook Bootery Co. 

IRVING B. HOWE, Partner, 

A. H. Howe & Sons 

CHARLES C. HOYT. President, 
Farnsworth, Hoyt Co. 

HERBERT V. HUNT, President, 
Hunt-Rankin Leather Co. 

GEORGE E. KEITH, President, 

George E. Keith Co. 

HAROLD C. KEITH, Treasurer, 

George E. Keith Co. 

J. F. KNOWLES, Treasurer, 

W- G. Simmons Corp. 

GEORGE H. LEACH, Secretary,. 

George E. Keith Co. 

WILLIAM R. LEWIS, Firm Member, 
Lewis & Reilly 


CONSULTANTS 


WrLLIAM LIVINGSTON, 

R H. Fyfe & Co 

A. H. LOCKWOOD, Editor, 

Shoe and Leather Reporter. 

FRANK R. MAXWELL, Vice-President, 
Thomas 0. Plant Co. 

GEORGE H. MAYO, Manager Footwear Div. 
United States Rubber Co 

H. C. MCLAUGHLIN, Vice-President, 

Potter Shoe Co. 

J. J. McPHILLIPS, 

Seamans & Cobb Co. 

ALLEN H. MEADORS, Partner. 

John A. Meadors & Sons. 

J. G. >1ENIHAN, President, 

Menihan Co. 

T. C. MIRKIL, Secretary-Commissioner, 
National Shoe Retailers’ Association 

HENRY MOOREHOUSE, Gen. Manager. 
Brockton Last Co. 

RAYMOND P. MORSE, Treasurer, 

Morse & Burt Co. 

JAMES A. MUNROE, Vice-President, 

E. T. Wright & Co., Inc. 

GEORGE A. NEWHALL, Vice-President, 
Jones, Peterson & Newhall Co. 

JAMES P. ORR, President, 

Potter Shoe Co.; Pres. N. S. R. A. 

GEORGE E. PEIRCE, Firm Member, 
Thomas F. Peirce & Son 

PAUL A. PETERS, Vice-President, 

Peters Mfg. Co. 

WILLIAM F. PETERS, President, 

Peters Mfg. Co. 

BURT W. RANKIN, Treasurer, 
Hunt-Rankin Leather Co. 

I B. REINHART, Vice-President, 

Wizard Foot Appliance Co. 

CHARLES A. REYNOLDS, President, 
Keystone Leather Co. 

FRED B. RICE, Vice-President, 

Rice & Hutchins, Inc. 

G. S. ROTH, Manager Shoe Department, 
h- Donaldson Co. 


HOLLIS B. SCATES, Shoe Division Manager, 
William Filene’s Sons Co. 

T. M. SCOGGINS, Vice-President, 

Krupp & Tuffly 

MARK W. SELBY, Vice-President and Sec’y 
Selby Shoe Co. 

THOMAS W. SHERRON, President, 

Sherron Shoe Co. 

MILO A. SLADE, Firm Member, 

Slade Shoe Shops 

F. W. SMALL, Manager Shoe Department, 
Gilchrist Co. 

S. G. SPITZER, Manager Shoe Department, 

S. Kann Sons Co. 

FRED W. STANTON, Secretary, 

National Shoe Travelers’ Association 

FRANK H. STELLING, 

Stelling-Nickerson Shoe Co. 

E. H. STETSON, President, 

Stetson Shoe Co. 

JAMES H. STONE, Editor, 

The Shoe Retailer 

J. F. TEEHAN, Vice-President, 

Dunbar Pattern Co. 

E. B. TERHUNE, Treas. and Gen. Manager, 
Boot & Shoe Recorder 

L. F. TUFFLY, President, 

Krupp & Tuffly 

VICTOR E. VAILE, President, 

Vaile Shoe Co. 

H. L. VAN DEGRIFT, General Manager, 

Van Degrift Shoe Co. 

GEORGE A. VOLK, Firm Member, 

Volk Bros. Co. 

L. W. VOLK, Firm Member, 

Volk Bros. Co. 

J. M. WATSON, President , 

Guarantee Shoe Co. 

K. W. WATTERS, President, 

K. W. Watters Co. 

R. R. WILKINSON, Shoe Buyer, 

Cohen Brothers 

W. W. WILLSON, Store Sales Manager, 

Rice & Hutchins, Inc. 

•E. T. WRIGHT, Treasurer, 

E. T. Wright & Co., Inc. 












FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 
AND STORE DISPLAYS 


BY 

THE STAFF EDITORS 

RETAIL SHOE SALESMEN’S INSTITUTE 

IN COLLABORATION WITH 

Seaton Alexander, President, Alexander iA Co. 

Elmer J. Bliss, President, Regal Shoe Co. 

W. G. Dennison, Advertising Manager, Rice iA Hutchins, Inc. 
Arthur Lucius Evans, Treasurer L. B. Evans' Sons Co. 

Mrs. J. L. Evans, Firm Member, Lewis iA Reilly 
I. Wendell Gammons, Treasurer, The Shoe Retailer Co. 

L. H. Gilson, Brockton Rand Co. 

William R. Lewis, Firm Member, Lewis iA Reilly 

E. B. Terhune, General Manager, Boot and Shoe Recorder Pub. Co. 

L. F. Tuffly, Secretary, Krupp iA Tuffly 

George A. Volk, Firm Member, Volk Bros. Co. 

K. W. Watters, President, K. W. Watters Co. 

VOLUME 7 

CONSTITUTING PART OF THE TRAINING COURSE AND 
SERVICE FOR RETAIL SHOE SALESMEN 



RETAIL SHOE SALESMEN’S INSTITUTE 
* BOSTON 


RETAIL 



COPYRIGHT, 192 1, BY 

SHOE SALESMEN’S INSTITUTE 


All rights reserved 

Made in U.S.A. 



MAR 24 192 i 


© Cl. A 6 0 8 8 0 6 



PREFACE 


Advertising is both a cause and a result. 
That it is responsible in a large measure for 
much of advancement in modern merchandising 
practices there can be no doubt. That it is an 
outgrowth of industrial development of a high 
order, characterizing the present age, is also ob¬ 
vious. Just how much cause and how much 
effect it is, therefore, cannot be gauged. Un¬ 
questionably in its present stage of excellence it 
is a powerful business-building force. Whether 
modern industry could thrive without advertis¬ 
ing or advertising without modern industry is 
secondary. They thrive together. 

Advertising is a study in the designing and 
printing arts, in English, in literature, in psy¬ 
chology, in salesmanship, in merchandising. In 
this volume the purpose has been to interpret the 
best of advertising in terms of its application to 
footwear as a subject. Not only is advertising 
inclusive of the printed word but it extends be¬ 
yond and embraces all forms of publicity and 
display that directly or indirectly stimulate the 
buying impulse. 

Thus, the plan has been to give first the fun¬ 
damentals of advertising and to show their ap- 


viii 


PREFACE 


plication to all forms of the printed word — 
particularly the newspaper announcement; the 
principal medium through which the retail shoe 
dealer presents his printed message to the public. 
Having in this way built the foundation, there 
is then opportunity for enlargement upon the 
basic principles. The second half of the volume 
is given over to the subject of window and store 
displays. There can be no successful display 
without an understanding and observance of the 
fundamentals of advertising. Attention, in¬ 
terest, desire, conviction, action; these are the 
steps leading up to the sale. The volume treats 
of all in their respective relationship to all forms 
of advertising effort. 

In the preparation of this work the Editors 
have been fortunate in being able to draw from 
the best experience of the entire shoe trade. Co¬ 
operation has willingly and generously been ex¬ 
tended; without it the volume could not have 
been written. The Editors take this opportunity 
to acknowledge gratefully the assistance of all 
who have thus directly or indirectly contributed 
of their wide experience. 


THE EDITORS 


TABLE OF CONTENTS 


CHAPTER I 

Function of Advertising.1-18 

More than Publicity; The Merchant’s Obliga¬ 
tion; The Salesman’s Interest; Advertising Re¬ 
quires Knowledge; Finding the Appeal; Specific 
Appeal, Well Directed; Only Truth Wins; Strong 
Message Essential. 

CHAPTER II 

Preparing Attractive Copy.19-43 

Impression Depends on Expression; Word Values; 
Short and Simple Words; Forceful Words; 
Understanding Motives of Buyers; Analyzing 
the Goods; Specimen Selling Points; Analysis 
Always Needed; Intelligible Words; Improper 
Words; Sentence and Paragraph Values; Princi¬ 
ples of Construction; Form of Copy; Advertise¬ 
ments Differ in Form; Argumentative Approach; 
Narrative Approach; Descriptive Approach; 
Conversational Tone; Personal Tone; Interroga¬ 
tory Tone; Timeliness of Copy; Public Appre¬ 
ciates Alertness; News Copy; Holiday Copy; 
Seasonable Copy; Between-seasons Copy. 

CHAPTER III 

Special Parts of Copy.44-68 

Headline must Be Strong; Action; Directness 
and Candor; Illustrations Helpful; Limits of 


IX 





X 


CONTENTS 


Main Text; Mention of Price; Store Name Prom¬ 
inent; Pleasing the Eye; Powerful Copy not 
Everything; Positions and Size; White Space 
Borders; Illustration Aids; Balance and Optical 
Center; Inward Gaze; Readable Type; Avoid 
Freak Displays. 


CHAPTER IV 

Outlining the Display .69-95 

Layout in Mass; Layout in Detail; Selecting 
the Type; Variations in Type; Bases of Choice; 
Estimating Space; Using Cuts Properly; Engrav¬ 
ing the Illustration; Zinc Etching; Half-Tones; 
Comparative Values; Wood Cuts, Electro types 
and Stereotypes; Stock and Manufacturers’ 
Cuts; Avoiding Final Errors; The Last Chance; 
Success Demands Care. 

CHAPTER V 

Advertising Mediums .96-110 

Mediums Available; Newspapers; Reasons for 
Value; Buying Newspaper Space; Newspaper 
Advertising Terms; Contract is Desirable; Limi¬ 
tation of Newspaper; Store Papers; Preserving 
the Newspaper Fiction; Making up the Paper; 
Direct Approach; Street Car Cards and Outdoor 
Displays; Car Cards; Outdoor Displays. 

CHAPTER VI 

Advertising Mediums {Continued) .m-129 

Circular Material; Two Main Groups; Circular 
Letters; Booklets, Leaflets and Folders; Mailing 
Folders and Cards; Broadsides or Handbills; 
Consolidated in Store Paper; Package Inserts; 
Novelties; The Mailing List; Planning the Cam- 





CONTENTS 


xi 


paign; Foresight is Essential; How Much to 
Spend; Distribution by Months; Choosing the 
Mediums; Watching the Campaign; Keep on 
Learning. 


CHAPTER VII 

Window Displays.130-149 

Business-building Value; Footsteps Make Values; 
Window Circulation; Errors of the Past; Window 
Construction; Individual Store Front; The Win¬ 
dow Itself; Window Background; Harmonious 
Floor; Ventilating the Window. 

CHAPTER VIII 

Window Accessories.150-164 

Proper Unit Displays; Foundation Blocks; Glass 
Fixtures; Wooden and Metal Fixtures; Variety 
of Designs; Home-made Accessories; Using 
Artificial Foliage; Colored Fabrics and Skins; 
Accessories should not Dominate. 

CHAPTER IX 

Trimming the Window.165-180 

Advance Planning; Order of Trimming; Use of 
Stock Shoes; Overcrowding; Arranging the Pairs; 
Forming Shoes; Hosiery and Findings; Securing 
Color Harmony; Combining Colors; Appro¬ 
priate Colors; Cleanness First and Last. 

CHAPTER X 

Variations in Window Displays.181-196 

Changing the Trim; Motifs for Displays; Janu¬ 
ary; February; March and April; May; June; 

July and August; September; October; Novem- 






CONTENTS 


xii 


ber; December; Specimen Backgrounds;. Sug¬ 
gestions on All Sides; Tied up with Advertising. 

CHAPTER XI 


Show Cards. 197-215 

The Final Touch; Help to Any Store; Definite 
Selling Thought; Cardboard; Color of Cards; 
Lettering Material and Tools; Holding the Brush; 
Practicing with Letters; Elaboration; Illustra¬ 
tions and Borders; Practical Aids; Changing 
Show Cards; Price Tickets. 

CHAPTER XII 


Interior Display. 216-230 

Inside Trim Helps Sales; Front Location of Show 
Cases; Care of Show Cases; Bargain Counters 
and Special Boots; General Inside Trimmings; 
Window and Store Lighting; Night Salesman¬ 
ship; Concealing the Lamps; Controlling the 
Light; Amount of Light; Store Lighting; Care 
of Lighting Equipment; Vital Factors in Selling. 




FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


CHAPTER I 

FUNCTION OF ADVERTISING 

MORE THAN PUBLICITY 

Advertising — what does it mean? Is it, as 
Webster’s Dictionary says, “public announcing, 
especially by a printed notice?” Yes, that does 
give a bare idea regarding the usual form of ad¬ 
vertising. But it fails so utterly to picture the 
function of advertising as a great economic 
force. 

Let us consider, then, what advertising does. 
From the point of view of the user, advertising 
serves to keep his name before the public. It 
serves to foster public good-will, provided it is 
properly backed up by goods and service. It 
increases sales by appealing to those who can 
buy but who have not had desire aroused. And 
from the reader’s point of view, advertising edu¬ 
cates the public to quicker and more intelligent 
selection of merchandise and service. It insures, 
because of open competition, higher qualities 
from which to choose. It brings new products 
to the public view and teaches their use. 

It is important to understand these public 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


benefits, for the old idea of advertising is that 
it is beneficial to the advertiser but an unneces¬ 
sary burden to the buyer of goods. Too much 
emphasis cannot be laid upon the fact that ad¬ 
vertising is a service to the public, through the 
saving of time and effort in the selection of goods 
and through the furnishing of better qualities 
and lower prices because of the open competi¬ 
tion. Advertising, in short, pays the consumer. 

With this point kept in mind, we may here 
examine the results of advertising. Advertising 
gives name publicity; the logical result of that 
is — sales. Advertising creates good-will; the 
certain result of that is — sales. Advertising by 
direct appeal brings — sales. And the benefit of 
advertising to the public can be realized only 
through — sales. Hence, back of the service of 
advertising both to the user and to the public 
lies the fundamental idea of sales. 

Advertising, therefore, is no mysterious 
science. It is an open, straight-forward, com¬ 
mon-sense striving for one object — the making 
of sales. Publicity and good-will are essential 
but they are not ends in themselves. They are 
simply means to the end. Every store should 
advertise. 

THE MERCHANT’S OBLIGATION 

Shoes are necessities. Yet that fact gives the 
retailer no excuse for sitting down in a dark 
corner and waiting for people to find him. In 


FUNCTION OF ADVERTISING 3 

the face of competition, style changes and de¬ 
velopments in the art of shoemaking, he must 
carry a message direct to the public. He must 
show people what he has, and make them want 
what he shows. Even the smallest retailer should 
advertise. People may know him, but they can¬ 
not know what they should about his goods and 
service. If he doesn’t advertise today, he is much 
more likely to be out of business tomorrow. 

But just what are the means of retail adver¬ 
tising? The purpose of such advertising is no 
different from that of the jobber or manufac¬ 
turer. However, the appeal is confined to 
people in a restricted area, primarily to those 
who can come in person to the store to buy. His 
advertising includes all the means of securing 
sales attention and sales action. Thus a store 
may induce sales through its sign, its store front, 
its window dressing and its interior displays. 

Let us now return, therefore, to the form of 
advertising; to that phrase of the Webster defi¬ 
nition stated at the beginning — Especially by 
a printed notice.” Advertising, in the major 
sense as we shall use it in the first half of this 
volume, refers to long-range sales promotion 
through the printed word. It is selling outside 
the store. Sales incentives in the store are also 
advertising, but since they involve a completely 
different set of methods they will be treated 
separately in the second half, under the title of 
“Store Displays.” 


4 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


THE SALESMAN’S INTEREST 

The retail shoe salesman’s interest in adver¬ 
tising should be direct, for several reasons. The 
successful application of an advertising appeal, 
for instance, is made through the very same 
stages as the salesman’s. The mind of the pros¬ 
pect is led along through attention, interest and 
desire to action. The importance of this is not 
that the work of the salesman is thus minimized 
when a customer comes in the store with his 
mind made up to buy. It lies rather in the fact 
that advertising gives the salesman another op¬ 
portunity to study the methods of approach and 
language that appeal to buyers. The salesman 
who is bent upon self-improvement can pick up 
valuable hints by listening to the selling talks 
of other salesmen, but he can also do himself a 
great deal of good by studying in his quiet mo¬ 
ments the most attractive shoe advertisements 
he can find. It is another form of valuable 
practice. 

Furthermore, the retail shoe salesman should 
be keenly interested in his own store's adver¬ 
tising because he has the final responsibility for 
its success. That is, after an advertisement has 
pulled the buyer into the store, the salesman still 
has the power of making or breaking the sale. 
If, for instance, he does not know that a certain 
new style is being advertised, or that a special 
reduction is offered on a line, he is likely to make 


FUNCTION OF ADVERTISING 


S 


some blunder that will undo much if not all the 
advertisement’s work. If he is clever, he may 
be able to conceal ignorance; if he is wise, he 
will not have to. Every salesman should know 
what is being advertised and what selling talk is 
used. Then he can complete the sale in clear- 
cut fashion and secure not only the money but 
the maximum amount of good-will. 

Then, too, the salesman may have the oppor¬ 
tunity to prepare advertisements for his store, 
if not now perhaps a little later. Often the mer¬ 
chant has not the time or the desire to handle 
the advertising work, or at least the details of 
it. The salesman who is competent to take up 
this work is fortunate, for progress comes from 
being capable of assuming just such responsi¬ 
bilities. Even if there is no special assignment 
to advertising work, however, the salesman will 
do well to remember that good ideas are always 
acceptable. He is in close contact with cus¬ 
tomers; he knows what they are asking for and 
what they say about the styles. An alert mind 
will often pick up a point or comment around 
which an effective advertisement can be written. 

ADVERTISING REQUIRES KNOWLEDGE 

In order to be able to prepare advertisements, 
or even to analyze them properly, the salesman 
must understand the characteristics of the mod¬ 
ern advertisement. He must realize for ex¬ 
ample, that the sale of goods requires more than 


6 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


the mere “business card” of the retailer or even 
his name and a catalog of his goods. The mod¬ 
ern advertisement does not approach a man 
and say, “John White, Shoe Dealer, Wyalusing, 
Pa.,” and then leave, any more than the modern 
salesman does. Nor does it go up and rattle off 
a list like this, “Boots, Oxfords, Pumps and 
Everything,” or foolish assertions like these, 
“Shoes Best in Town; Prices Farthest Down.” 
Nor does it create a bad impression by “knock¬ 
ing” competitors’ goods. Such advertisements 
do not sell, for they say nothing new, or what 
they do say nobody believes, or they direct at¬ 
tention to the other man’s goods. They are not 
even good publicity, for they make no concrete, 
favorable appeal to the reader’s interest. The 
modern advertisement creates a real picture of 
the advertiser’s goods or service; it sells by mak¬ 
ing an image so clear in the reader’s mind that 
he cannot help saying, “I want that! ” or “That’s 
a live store!” 

Moreover, though the aim of advertising is to 
sell, the modern advertisement does not empha¬ 
size the selling motives of the store. An adver¬ 
tisement asking for increased business during the 
coming year in order that the store may keep up 
its normal rate of growth means little, if any¬ 
thing, to the customer. Such an advertisement 
is written from the wrong point of view; it 
speaks the seller’s language, not the buyer’s. 
The seller wants to sell, of course; but he must 


FUNCTION OF ADVERTISING 


7 


make the buyer want to buy. This he can do 
only by speaking in terms of the self-interest of 
the buyer. Successful selling, in short, is serving 
the buyer. 

To construct advertisements upon this basis 
requires real knowledge of many subjects. It 
requires an understanding of merchandising and 
of shoes. It requires ability to find out what 
goods mean to the customer; to use English 
without murdering it; to make the best use of 
the printing and engraving arts; to choose the 
best fields of expression for the advertising mes¬ 
sage, and to work with foresight and persistence. 
Knowledge of these matters means the proper 
wording of the message, its proper appearance 
and its proper presentation. The principles upon 
which this knowledge can be built will now be 
considered. Since most shoe advertising is done 
through the newspapers these principles will be 
discussed in connection with newspaper adver¬ 
tisements. Any peculiar application of them to 
other means of advertising' will be considered 
later. 


FINDING THE APPEAL 
SPECIFIC APPEAL WELL DIRECTED 

The first step in constructing a retail shoe ad¬ 
vertisement is to find the right thing to say to 
the right people. Many a cleverly worded and 
ingeniously arranged advertisement has failed to 


8 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


produce sales because the right appeal was not 
made to those who saw it. The successful ad¬ 
vertisement is the one that aims at a particular 
group of buyers and makes a specific appeal to 
the buying motives that will influence that 
group. In order to make such an appeal, the 
advertiser must understand the general points of 
self-interest that are found among customers, 
and he must also know his goods thoroughly. 

UNDERSTANDING MOTIVES OF BUYERS 

An old-time Yankee — so the story runs — 
bought up a thousand pairs of odd-lot shoes and 
jumped across the Mexican border to sell his 
stock. The bare-foot natives, however, were 
slow in warming up to the idea of pedal decora¬ 
tion. For a time the Yankee pondered — then 
he went out for a stroll after dusk. The next 
day in limped the natives by scores, begging for 
shoes to protect their feet from the accursed 
tacks that “some devil” had scattered over the 
roads. 

The modern retailer does not have to use such 
means to create in the American public the 
primary buying motive of protection for the feet. 
Nor does he even have to appeal to such a mo¬ 
tive, for men, women and children buy shoes as 
a matter of course. Yet are there not other buy¬ 
ing motives to which the retailer can successfully 
appeal? Unquestionably there are, for the serv¬ 
ice afforded by shoes has special characteristics 


FUNCTION OF ADVERTISING 


9 


that have different attractions for different in¬ 
dividuals. Let us see what may be included 
among these secondary motives. 

How about economy? Not “cheapness/’ for 
this may be taken to mean little worth; but “low 
cost” or “money-saving.” An appeal to the de¬ 
sire for economy meets with an instantaneous 
and favorable response from most members of 
most groups. Indeed, whether in an era of high 
prices or in an era of low prices, there are al¬ 
ways many to whom a low-priced shoe or a bar¬ 
gain shoe offers the greatest appeal. Notice how 
the advertisement in Figure i plays up the point 
of price reduction. 

How about durability? The working man or 
woman wants long wear as well as low price. 
The well-to-do huntsman, for example, does not 
care about price, but he wants a rugged boot. 
The desire for durability, therefore, is a distinc¬ 
tive buying motive to which an appeal can be 
effectively made. It is especially useful in the 
case of children’s shoes. The sturdy shoes of 
Figure 2, built to stand up under the wear of a 
real boy, illustrate the application of this appeal. 

How about health? Foot ills are many, and 
opportunities are often presented for a direct 
health appeal in the cases of custom-made shoes 
and of some general brands that are said to be 
specially constructed to “let the feet grow as 
they should.” The health appeal is the best 
means of approach to the man with corns, 


10 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 



Two splendid line* of calfskin balmoraU, made 
to eell at $10* but prices of which have been 
rorised downward to conform with the lower 
coeU now prevailing, • • 

•site of full grain dhUa with .toot dngta *d« tnd hr—4 
koala, on • oaoalk n o sorrow too, aouiorUhla. W 17 
fittimm U*t, fa* • wido rang* of wilth* and ataaa. 

A roull^ word* wbilo trod* *t tfau now peic*. 


STYLf 149— 
Uakom 
STYVB 160— 
Black 


$ 0.25 


tPEClAL —Popmbxr "Uoatk** Wo+l Ho*try. tl.tO tAo pair 


COES^STODDER 

SOTO *4 - SOHOOL STBECT 


FIGURE 1 
Appeal of Economy 



FIGURE 2 
Appeal of Durability 




Rested Feet 


tired 


0 ONT Worry about your 1 

how to rel»t»e them Horn o.... ___ 

cauouvea. ingrowing nail*, or fallen nrehet. 
Adopt thi* red pc: , 

Come in here today, and let o* puO aff 
tboae narrow, pointed-toe, booc-bending 
•hoe*. Tbey're the ou*e of your foot ilia— 
rout aching, tender, tired fact. 
We'D put tn'OM feet into com¬ 
fortable. good-looking Educa¬ 
tor*—die} *boc* that "let the 
feet-a-row a* they ■bouW — 
-booed, • upple. healthy. 
You’D fed the result at onca. 
No brealung-tn, or diaoomfort. 


CATO^ 

HOE® 


FOR MEN. WOMEN, 
and CHILDREN 


Md*«tCigkA • \ — I r 


Chas. R. McWilliams 


H I S 
MASTER'S 
BOOTS 


A .UTUMN VuggeSb 
Nett let on Brogues ^ 
tp men who * lilje to 
pend their leisure In" 
the '‘open." They-pro¬ 
mote f(iot“ freedom- 
foot-comfort. 


FIGURE 3 
Appeal of Health 


FIGURE 4 

Appeal of Pleasure — Comfort 
















































FUNCTION OF ADVERTISING 


ii 


bunions, callouses, ingrowing nails or fallen 
arches. It can be used in connection with a par¬ 
ticular shoe, as in Figure 3, or to announce the 
free service of a foot specialist. 

How about pleasure and comfort? This is an 
appeal not to the man whose feet have gone 
wrong, as above, but to the one whose feet are 
right and who wants to keep them right. Man 
loves ease, satisfaction; pleasure in his neces¬ 
sities as well as his luxuries. Directly to such 
love is an appeal like this addressed: “Stand 
up — Do your heels feel supported? Is there 
the comfort of tread-room across the balls of 
your feet. Are your toes able to play around a 
bit? Do your feet feel fit?” Figure 4 shows a 
good example representative of this pleasure- 
comfort appeal. Much can be made of this ap¬ 
peal not only in the case of everyday foot cover¬ 
ings, but also in the case of house and boudoir 
slippers, outing shoes and similar stock which 
play up to foot ease, mental satisfaction or self- 
indulgence. 

How about pride and vanity? Pride implies 
a proper sense of personal dignity and worth, 
and it leads to a desire for shoes in keeping 
therewith. Pride wants quality and distinctive¬ 
ness — in short “style” as represented in make, 
cut, color and trimmings, or in the “shoe for the 
occasion.” Pride begets imitation, for the pride¬ 
ful person cannot resist the suggestion that the 
Hite are wearing such and such models. 


12 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


Whether the suggestion in the advertising is di¬ 
rect, as in “Our fall styles bring Fifth Avenue 
and Paris to you — shoes you will be proud to 
wear,” or indirect in the form of the imagery 
aroused in Figure 5, the appeal is the same — 
to pride. Furthermore, to such an appeal even 
many who have no just cause for pride will re¬ 
spond because of vanity. It is not politic to 
make an open appeal to jealousy of admiration 
or love of show, but the vanity of some is a pow- 



FIGURE 5 
Appeal to Pride 



FIGURE 6 
Appeal of Affection 


erful buying motive that can be reached through 
an appeal to the legitimate pride of others. 

How about affection? People as a rule buy 
shoes for their own feet; and affection, a state 













FUNCTION OF ADVERTISING 


i3 


of feeling toward others, does not enter the case. 
Yet every rule has its exception, and that is why 
affection can sometimes be appealed to in shoe 
selling. The spirit of affection is especially use¬ 
ful in the marketing of shoes for children. Ob¬ 
serve how the text in Figure 6 is based on the 
premise that loving parents will certainly desire 
to save their children from the torment of aching 
feet. The health appeal, of course, also is used 
in this advertisement. Special occasions, how¬ 
ever, many times offer opportunities for a 
straight appeal to affection. Especially is this 
true of the Christmas season. The appeal to 
affection, it should be added, can be made most 
successfully in the case of special types of shoes 
and shoe accessories which to the recipients will 
be more of a luxury than a necessity. 

It is not to be inferred that the foregoing is 
a complete analysis of the human instincts to 
which the shoe advertiser may direct his appeal, 
for such instincts are as varied and rich as hu¬ 
man nature itself. What has been said, how¬ 
ever, is sufficient to indicate that there are cer¬ 
tain basic appeals which, when used singly or in 
combination, strike a responsive chord in the 
hearts of buyers. 

It is vital for the retail advertiser to under¬ 
stand that the quickest and surest way to stimu¬ 
late the sale of shoes is through an appeal to 
clear-cut buying motives. Without such a fun¬ 
damental appeal an advertisement is like a shot 


i 4 FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

from a gun fired without aim — it does not hit 
the mark. 

ANALYZING THE GOODS 

As essential as an understanding of the basic 
points of self-interest among buyers, is an exact 
knowledge of the true merit and worth of the 
advertised article. The real advertiser should 
carefully analyze the article to be offered and 
jot down on a memorandum slip every selling 
point . A selling point is any quality or attribute 
that will make the article a desirable possession. 
Different selling points appeal to different people 
and under different conditions. 

In making an analysis by selling points, an 
advertiser may know the probable line of ap¬ 
peal. He may find upon examination that the 
selling points permit more than the one appeal 
expected. Or he may have no clear-cut idea of 
the best line of appeal until he analyzes the 
goods. The order of the process is immaterial. 
The end is the important thing — that from his 
acquired knowledge of his customer’s buying mo¬ 
tives and the selling points of his merchandise 
and service, he may construct the very strongest 
appeal. 

SPECIMEN SELLING POINTS 

To analyze any shoe in order to determine its 
main selling points, the advertiser should ask 
himself these questions: 


FUNCTION OF ADVERTISING 


i5 


Analysis Questions 

1. What is the model? 

2. How is it made? 

3. What are the materials? 


4. For what sort of wear? 

5. Who can wear them? 


6. What is the selling 
price? 

7. What are the advan¬ 
tages? 


Examples of Answers 

A high shoe for women. 

Cuban heel, brogue tip, 
lace. 

Brown calf, wear-proof lin¬ 
ing, silk stitching, leath¬ 
er insoles, etc. 

Street. 

Both the woman who fol¬ 
lows style and the one 
who thinks most of cost. 

Eight dollars. 

The latest style; ease as¬ 
sured by special last; 
freedom from wrinkles 
in lining; long wear 
from specially tested 
leather. 


Such answers as given would justify an appeal 
to love of style. Yet the style does not carry a 
prohibitive price to the economically-minded 
women, and comfort and wear have not been 
forgotten in providing for appearance. It would 
be foolish in this case, therefore, to make a lead 
to only the first buying motive, for a wider scope 
of appeal would suit more women. It might not 
be desirable to treat equally all the advantages 
in one advertisement; it might be preferable to 
run a series, each emphasizing one primary ad¬ 
vantage and only mentioning the others. Which¬ 
ever course is followed, the analysis will have 


16 FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

served its purpose, for it has tied up the main 
characteristics of the shoe with basic human de¬ 
sire, and this is the foundation of good advertis¬ 
ing. 

ANALYSIS ALWAYS NEEDED 

The advertising manager of a retail store or 
any salesman who is suggesting or writing ad¬ 
vertisements needs to make a careful analysis of 
selling points. These men may know in a gen¬ 
eral way whether an article is attractive, but un¬ 
less they study out the points they are likely to 
use vague or commonplace generalities. An¬ 
other danger is that without a careful analysis 
they are prone to emphasize the points of 
greatest interest to themselves rather than the 
customers. 

Why not depend upon the retail merchant for 
selling points? This is a natural query. The 
experienced dealer generally knows in a flash 
whether a shoe will suit his trade. His eye is 
so trained in judging articles of similar make 
and style that one glance suffices. But to sell 
the shoe through an advertisement — that is a 
different matter. For this the dealer would have 
to translate his almost intuitive judgment into 
concrete appeals to buying motives. His analy¬ 
sis of the goods at the time of purchase was al¬ 
most unconscious; now he would have to make 
a conscious analysis, point by point. The wise 
advertising manager or salesman, therefore, does 


FUNCTION OF ADVERTISING 17 

not impose such extra work upon the dealer. He 
receives sales suggestions from the dealer, of 
course, but he must depend upon no one to do 
his thinking for him. 

ONLY TRUTH WINS 

Some analyses will bring out more selling 
points than others. There is no limit to the 
number, provided each is true. Exaggeration or 
misrepresentation is the thief of confidence. It 
does not pay to fill an advertisement with in¬ 
flated language and extravagant claims. Selling 
points of such sort do not bluff the reader in the 
least. 

The policy of Filene’s of Boston is worth 
quoting. It is this: “No exaggeration, no mis¬ 
leading statement and no half truth shall be 
made under any circumstances in connection 
with any of our publicity. Any statement, of 
whose truth we do not have absolute proof at 
the time it is to be printed, will be excluded.” 
This policy is worthy of adoption by every shoe 
store. 

It may be repeated, therefore, that no selling 
point that has its basis only in someone’s imagi¬ 
nation should ever be used. If the advertiser 
thinks the truth and writes the truth, his words 
will ring true and will be believed. If he is 
ashamed to write the truth about his goods, he 
should not advertise — it will not pay. Abso¬ 
lute truth is the only policy that wins. The old 


18 FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

policy, “Let the buyer beware,” should be for¬ 
gotten in favor of the modern one, “Let the 
seller be square.” 

STRONG MESSAGE ESSENTIAL 

The task of the shoe advertiser, therefore, is 
to dig up some strong, truthful message for every 
advertisement. This is not easy, but it is by 
no means impossible if the advertiser studies out 
every phase of his article that can have any ap¬ 
peal to a human instinct. The motives of buyers 
are world-old. To learn what they are, however, 
and to understand how they should be presented 
so as to appeal to these motives — this is the 
work of the retail shoe advertiser. 


CHAPTER II 

PREPARING ATTRACTIVE COPY 

IMPRESSION DEPENDS ON EXPRESSION 
It is a fact that a large proportion of all ad¬ 
vertising that gets results is that which makes 
a human appeal to the reader. Yet the mere in¬ 
clusion of selling points that will hit some basic 
buying motive is not all-sufficient. Many a good 
advertising idea fails to sink into the reader’s 
mind because it is not properly worded. In 
order to produce maximum selling results the 
message must also express directness, vigor and 
personality. 

So, after the analysis of selling points, atten¬ 
tion must be turned to the preparation of the 
text of the advertising message or the text and 
the illustration. To prepare effectively such 
“copy” as it is called, it is not necessary that the 
shoeman be able to rival Shakespeare in flow 
of words. Yet his work will be much better done 
if he understands certain practices, certain tricks 
of expression, which are reliable means of im¬ 
parting attractiveness to copy. 

WORD VALUES 

SHORT AND SIMPLE WORDS 

The aim of advertising is to convey a message 
to the reader and induce him to act on it. If this 


19 


20 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


is done in such words that the attention of the 
reader is diverted from the message itself to the 
peculiarities of the words used, the effect of the 
message is lessened. 

The advertising man, therefore, should be as 
short and simple as possible in his diction. He 
should not strain for effect through high-sound¬ 
ing words. If, perchance, he wishes to say that 
a pair of silk stockings is to be given away with 
every pair of shoes, he should do so, and not give 
vent to any effusion like this, “A gratuitous of¬ 
fering of silken coverings for the nether limbs 
will be made to each purchaser of a pair of 
shoes.” 

The copy-writer should not feel that as ideas 
grow in importance the wording must become 
more involved. Big ideas do not demand big 
words. Besides, advertising space costs money, 
and short words save many a dollar no matter 
how complex the subject. Therefore, the writer 
should choose the shortest and the simplest 
words. 

FORCEFUL WORDS 

Simple words ought also to be forceful. That 
is, they should possess the ability of making the 
reader visualize an idea. Thus he will be incited 
to quicker action. The most forceful words are 
specific, concrete or figurative. 

Some words are general , covering a group or 
indicating an indefinite number, whereas others 


PREPARING ATTRACTIVE COPY 


21 


are specific, giving individual or exact designa¬ 
tions. Thus the mentally lazy writer will use 
the general term “best,” but the forceful writer 
will hunt out the word that tells why the shoe 
is best — because it is dainty, sturdy, wonder¬ 
fully light but long wearing, graceful, dressy, 
comfortable, or has any other point of shoe ex¬ 
cellence. Another example of this: “We have re¬ 
duced the prices on some lines, and can now offer 
a bargain.” This is woefully weak as contrasted 
with a specific statement like, “20 Per Cent Off 
on Low Shoes.” 

When a generality is used, the reader has to 
choose from his stock of mental images one that 
fits the general idea mentioned. He may or may 
not choose the sort of image that the writer had 
in mind. When the writer, however, uses a 
specific word that can call up only one kind of 
mental image, the reader is sure to get the im¬ 
pression desired. 

A difference in force exists also between ab¬ 
stract and concrete words. An abstract word 
expresses a quality or state; a concrete word 
illustrates such a quality or state by means of 
an example. Thus in “Those narrow, pointed 
shoes are the cause of your foot discomfort,” the 
abstract term “foot discomfort” is less forceful 
than would be such illustrations as “aching 
corns, tender bunions and tired feet.” 

Suppose an advertisement of rubbers says, 
“Our children’s rubbers will stand hard wear.” 


22 FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

“Hard wear” is a simple expression, but it is not 
so forceful as the concrete terms in the follow¬ 
ing: “If Johnny and Mary trip carefully and 
daintily around puddles, let them wear ordinary 
rubbers. Our rubbers are for little feet that 
scuff and kick and splash ” Such concrete words, 
that point out a striking aspect of the idea pre¬ 
sented, are more forceful because they suggest 
the definiteness of visible objects or of experi¬ 
ences undergone by the reader. 

Forceful, too, because of their power of sug¬ 
gestion are figurative words. A figure of speech 
arises from an express or implied comparison or 
from the use of a word in a sense not exactly 
literal. In the sentence, “These shoes wear like 
iron,” the last two words constitute an appropri¬ 
ate comparison that adds strength to the idea of 
wear. Such is the case also in this comparison: 
“The inner cushion sole of soft lamb’s wool ex¬ 
plains why women enthusiastically say, ‘It’s like 
walking on velvet.’ ” 

But figures of speech must be used with care. 
The advertiser who wrote, “When we resole a 
pair of shoes, they’re as silent as Colonel House,” 
probably reached his reader’s understanding 
with the reference to a certain American diplo¬ 
mat. But how many said “What’s he talking 
about?” in the case of the advertiser who wrote, 
“Buy now, for prices are at the nadir.” This 
reference, as used in astronomy in referring to 
the lowest point, was probably unintelligible to 


PREPARING ATTRACTIVE COPY 


23 


nine out of ten readers of the message. So in 
the use of figures of speech it should always be 
remembered that two characteristics are de¬ 
sirable — they must be appropriate to the ar¬ 
ticle being discussed, and they must be within 
the readers’ experience. 

The secret of forceful writing lies in a vivid 
realization of what is to be said and an enthusi¬ 
astic effort to create definite images in the 
reader’s mind. Such images are most desirable 
for they stimulate the reader to a quicker and 
more eager response. 

INTELLIGIBLE WORDS 

The advertiser should be careful not to use 
words that are simple to him but may be “over 
the head” of his readers. The two varieties that 
he needs most to watch are technical words and 
foreign words. 

The salesman ought to be familiar with the 
technical terms for shoemaking, but he should 
be chary of using them when writing for the 
benefit of customers. The reader of an adver¬ 
tisement, while interested in the fact that a shoe 
is of Goodyear welt, McKay or turn type, or bal 
or blucher pattern, is interested more in that it 
is high or low, plain or fancy, wide-toe or narrow- 
toe, straight-tip or wing-tip, high-heel or low- 
heel, and so forth. He is not half so interested 
in the exact name of the variety of leather used 
as he is in its appearance to him (black or brown, 


24 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


dull or glazed) and its characteristics of wear, 
comfort and style (durable, soft, smart, etc.). 
“Vamp,” “counter,” foxing” — the shoe man 
knows their technical meanings, but not so the 
average customer, any more than he knows that 
a “close fit over the cuneiform bones” refers to 
his instep. 

It would not be harmful, however, to mention 
the name of the leather, especially when a va¬ 
riety like suede, colored kid or cordovan is en¬ 
joying a style run. It is wholly permissible to 
use the semi-technical expressions like “Cuban 
heel,” “Louis XV heel,” “military heel,” and 
such like, because women are quick to become 
familiar with the designations of such external 
features. All technical terms dealing with the 
internal parts of the shoe or with methods of 
construction, on the other hand, are of doubtful 
advertising value because the customer is not 
likely to be able to visualize their meaning. If 
some technical detail is important, as in the case 
of orthopedic shoes, then it should be used with 
an explanation or else the detail should be ex¬ 
pressed simply in the form of its effect upon the 
wearer. This statement must be modified, how¬ 
ever, in one particular — concerning the Good¬ 
year welt shoe. This type of shoe construction, 
of American invention, revolutionized the 
world’s shoe industry and is familiar to every 
adult as the example of the best in service and 
comfort combined. 


PREPARING ATTRACTIVE COPY 


25 


Sometimes it is possible to write an advertise¬ 
ment without using a single technical term, as 
A. H. Howe & Sons of Boston did in this 
instance: “The Brighton — a Walk-Over style 
created for gentlemen who like the snap of long 
straight line and sloping toe. It emphasizes the 
long, flat English effect.” And where a technical 
term seems desirable, it can be worked in so as 
not to endanger the message in case of a lack of 
understanding. Even if Miss Mary Jane had 
not the slightest idea of what “kid Chippendale 
brown” and “welt sole” mean, this advertising 
would surely strike a buying impulse: “Here is 
a Queen Quality fine kid boot designed for the 
active woman — the one who is on her feet most 
of the day. Shown in the new Chippendale 
brown, it is truly attractive, and with its smart 
Cuban heel and its welt sole it is built for com¬ 
fort, but comfort combined with style.” Here, 
you see, the technical details are explained in 
terms of their satisfaction of buying motives. 

Foreign words, like technical words, are of re¬ 
stricted value in advertising. The English lan¬ 
guage is fairly complete, and as a rule it is 
neither necessary nor desirable to call upon some 
other one for help in the expression of an idea. 
True, an exclusive shop that has its clientele 
wholly in the fashionable set, may deem it wise 
to describe a pump as “chic” instead of saying 
that it is graceful, trim-looking, dainty or ele¬ 
gant. However, in general, most stores will do 


26 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


best to talk plain English. There is one simple 
rule — is there a good English equivalent? If so 
use it. The advertiser who follows this rule will 
never commit the sin of allowing himself not 
to be understood. 

IMPROPER WORDS 

By improper words is meant those that offend 
one’s sense of propriety, that are not in good 
taste. Of these there are numerous varieties. 
Every person attempting to write an advertising 
message should fully realize the disreputable 
character of incorrectly formulated words like 
“opine” for opinion; maltreated words like “ad” 
and vulgar or corrupt words like “ain’t.” This is 
a matter of learning the English language. A 
few words should be said, however, concerning 
another variety of improper expression for use 
in the advertising of footwear, and that is — 
slang. 

Slang has been called the “wild-oats” of lan¬ 
guage. It often has a suggestiveness and a force 
lacking in reputable diction, but it is in most 
cases vulgar and transient in character. Now 
and then a slang phrase gains general accept¬ 
ance, as the expression “getting down to brass 
tacks” has done. In general, however, the shoe 
advertiser will find nothing effective in slang. 
Did the recent copy-writer who said “When we 
fix your kicks, etc.,” think he was compliment¬ 
ing his readers by thus appealing to them in the 


PREPARING ATTRACTIVE COPY 27 

diction of the street? That is the great danger 
of slang — the writer can not be sure that he 
will not antagonize some reader. Except in the 
case of the mildest slang, the risk of offense is 
too great. 

SENTENCE AND PARAGRAPH VALUES 
PRINCIPLES OF CONSTRUCTION 

One may choose words that have the proper 
values in advertising, and still fail to put them 
together in the most effective way. Hence cer¬ 
tain principles of sentence and paragraph con¬ 
struction merit attention. Six important ones 
follow: 

1. Conciseness: This means the avoidance of 
too many words. The ability to go straight to 
the point, using no more words than are abso¬ 
lutely necessary, is a priceless possession to the 
copy-writer. The buyer has no time to waste in 
reading ten lines when three will suffice to con¬ 
vey the message. Even if he did have the time, 
the spread of the message would detract from its 
vividness. Hence the wise advertiser boils down 
copy and boils it down again, until he says more 
effectively in ten words that which originally re¬ 
quired perhaps thirty. He always bears in mind 
that if he steals the reader’s time, he is less likely 
to get the reader’s money. 

2. Unity: The principle of unity is the prin¬ 
ciple of harmony. Unity demands that a sen- 


28 FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

tence or paragraph express one complete thought 
— no more and no less. A sentence may be con¬ 
cise and still contain some unrelated matter, or 
it may fail to present a whole idea. In either 
case it lacks unity, for it does not stick to the 
point. Unity is easy to secure. All the copy¬ 
writer needs to do is to bear in mind these two 
points: (i) Do not crowd into a sentence or 
paragraph thoughts that do not belong there, 
and (2) Do not leave out thoughts that do be¬ 
long there. 

3. Emphasis: Emphasis in the sentence or 
paragraph demands that most of the reader’s 
attention be directed to what is most important. 
When the most important parts of a sentence or 
paragraph are treated so as to bring out all their 
strength, the writing is said to be emphatic. 
Since the beginning and the end of the sentence 
or paragraph are the points that arrest the eye, 
these are the points that should, be occupied by 
words deserving distinction. With practice the 
copy-writer can learn to use important words at 
the beginning to attract attention and at the end 
to produce a lasting impression. 

4. Coherence: To cohere means to stick to¬ 
gether. The principle of coherence demands 
that ideas be presented in logical order and con¬ 
nected so as to have their relationship indicated 
unmistakably. This is a matter of many details, 
but the copy-writer will be aided if he remem¬ 
bers this advice: 1. Words closely related in 


PREPARING ATTRACTIVE COPY 


29 


thought should be placed together; words dis¬ 
tinct in thought should be kept apart. 2. Parts 
of a sentence or paragraph that are similar in 
thought should be expressed in similar form 
(parallel construction). 

5. Clearness: The quality of clearness is pres¬ 
ent in an advertisement when the reader cannot 
fail to get the intended meaning. A lack of it 
may arise from inexact expression or vagueness. 
If the writer uses a word, phrase or sentence that 
has an indefinite or double meaning, the reader 
is likely to take the wrong one. Or if the writer 
is not thinking exactly he will produce the very 
opposite of a plain definite statement. A com¬ 
mendable plan is for the advertiser always to 
test himself with the question, “What am I try¬ 
ing to say?” and “Is there more than one mean¬ 
ing to what I have written?” 

6. Shortness: How long should a sentence or 
paragraph be? This frequent inquiry of the 
advertiser recalls Lincoln’s reply to a question 
as to the proper length of a man’s legs: “Long 
enough to reach the ground.” A sentence or 
paragraph should be long enough to do its work. 
True, the copy-writer should aim generally at 
shortness. The short sentence or paragraph has 
an advantage in that it can be more rapidly read 
and therefore has greater attention value; it 
opens up the advertisement and makes the read¬ 
ing easier. It is more informal and suggests ac¬ 
tion on the part of the reader. These are marked 


30 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


advantages in advertising. On the other hand, 
the short sentence or paragraph has no room for 
carefully considered modifications and excep¬ 
tions. Therefore, it affords only a restricted 
appeal to the mind for a decision based on 
reason. Moreover, its incessant use produces a 
choppy, artificial style. For these reasons the 
copy-writer is not justified in making an arbi¬ 
trary rule that he will use no sentence of more 
than, say, ten words, or no paragraph of more 
than one sentence. Far wiser would he be to 
adopt the general practice of placing his main 
dependence upon the short forms but of using 
the longer forms if they are necessary to avoid 
an awkward gap between related ideas. The 
advertiser must use his judgment on this point 
in each instance. 

FORM OF COPY 

ADVERTISEMENTS DIFFER IN FORM 
The right sorts of words, sentences and para¬ 
graphs for advertising use, as discussed above, 
can be put together in different forms of writing. 
The approach to the reader’s mind can be made 
in various ways; the message itself can be ex¬ 
pressed in different tones. Consideration will 
be given here to several illustrative cases. 

ARGUMENTATIVE APPROACH 

Buyers reach decisions by one of two methods, 
or a combination of the two: by reasoning and 


PREPARING ATTRACTIVE COPY 31 

through suggestion. They are more susceptible 
to suggestion than to reasoning and, therefore, 
action is produced more frequently through sug¬ 
gestion. Yet good advertising often affords the 
advertiser an excellent opportunity for an ap¬ 
peal to reason — and the retail shoe business is 
no exception. 

Argumentative or “reason-why” copy at¬ 
tempts to convince the 
reader by giving logical 
proof. This may be desir¬ 
able in announcing the need 
of a new policy (for in¬ 
stance, restriction of the re¬ 
turn privilege); in explain¬ 
ing some phase of store 

economics (for instance, 

probable trend of prices), 
or in telling exactly why 
some new or special article 
is of value (such as arch 
supports, orthopedic shoes, 
rubber heels). The last 
case gives rise to the largest 
number of opportunities. 

The proof used in “rea- FIGUR e 7 

son-why” copy consists Citation of Authorities 

sometimes of a simple se- in Argumentative Copy 

quence of logical statements or data establishing 
an introductory proposition and leading to a re¬ 
statement or summary; sometimes of testi- 



Experts Endorse 
\ Cantilever Shoes 

Tig Katlonal *Y. W.- C. A,, In toe , 
Interest of the .’health and bomfort 
Of tta 400,000 members, made an ex¬ 
haustive study of Correct footwear 
for women. They- reported In favor • 
•Of a shoe; Which has (1) fth Inner ; 
■ole ilne folio wins the, line of the 
foot: (2)' room for. t^e toee without ; 
crowding; <8) broad.-heel: (4) flex¬ 
ible shank, allowing action of arch ' 
muscles.' *, 

All these are distinguishing feature* 3 
• ■ Cl feantllever Shoes ' ' j 

The BoaTd of Police feurgeons Of ; 
New York made an Independent In- .• 
vestigatic a, and their report also ; 
recommends the flexible shank shoe. 
'“The stiff shoe does not permit free , 
play for the muscles, which "be¬ 
come cramped, weak and pasted." 
In contrast.’ a -flexible shank shoe 
allows the' foot to exercise and the 
arch muscles to grow strong. Can¬ 
tilever Shoe* corr ect fallen archer „ 






FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


52 

monials of users, and sometimes of the opinion 
of experts. When testimonials or authorities are 
cited, however, an element of suggestion is often 
used too, for the advertiser may well expect his 
customers to follow expert advice without being 
openly told to do so. Thus in Figure 7 the ar¬ 
gument presented by the experts' opinion is left 
to suggest a purchase. 

NARRATIVE APPROACH 

Few of our actions are the result of careful 
reason. Most are the result of imitation, habit 
or emotion. To inspire the latter sort of acts, an 
advertisement does not have to give detailed 
logical reasons; it needs only to offer a sugges¬ 
tion— perhaps merely an indirect one. This 
is what makes both the narrative and the de¬ 
scriptive forms of writing so valuable in adver¬ 
tising. They do not argue; they simply point. 

The narrative form of approach may be iden¬ 
tified by the fact that it tells a story, or gives 
a monolog or dialog, or just presents facts in sys¬ 
tematic order. When the events leading up to 
any advertisement have any news value because 
of their instructive or entertaining features or 
because of the light they throw upon the store's 
experience or business policy it is possible by 
telling such facts to prepare very attractive copy 
in narrative form. 

One feature of the narrative type is that it 


PREPARING ATTRACTIVE COPY 


33 


affords an opportunity to secure some connec¬ 
tion between successive advertisements. Ob¬ 
serve how the recital in Figure 8 reaches its 



We tackled our boys’- 
shoes for this F 3 II from a 
brand new angle. Studied 
’em on boys’ feet. Kept at 
it for months. 

Actual' c o u n t showed 
that only 3 out of every 10 
were wearing proper fitting 
shoes. 

Our opportunity! 

We took diagrams of the 
feet of dozens of boys; 
measurements of insteps, 
ankles, soles, arches. 

Found that three, and 
only three basic lasts were 
necessary to fit boys prop¬ 
erly. 

More about them to¬ 
morrow! 

Meantime, isn’t it good 
to know that all-leather 
shoes can also set a sen 
si file pace for prices—$7.50 
to $10. 


Quality in everything 
boys wear. 

Rogers Peet Company 

Broadway Broadway 

at 1 3th St. - ' F ° ur at 34th St. 
Convenient 

Broadway Comara" Av *' 

at Warren *1 4 J «t5b 


Two original 
Geuting Models 

Exquisite interpretations of the newest authorita¬ 
tive style, especially designed- for women who.de- 
jnand exclusiveness in their f^>ot dress.. Both will 
be, worn throughout the winter with woolen 
Stockings. 

The “Kiltie Pump 

A eupcrb creation, tha 
* feature of which is a 
‘-close - hogging Kiltie 
tongue under which is 
cleverly hidden an elastic 
gusset' which is remark¬ 
ably effective in produc¬ 
ing and maintaining ,a 
luxurious close fit around 
the ankle. The very 
new modified petite Louis 
( heel is both beautiful and 
exploitable. 

The “Strap-Buckle” Oxford 

An entirely neiw and ex¬ 
clusive Geuting creation 
which has All the smart¬ 
ness and trimness of the' 
pump, while the buckled 
strap fastenings give the 
permanent fitting char-' 
ecteristics of the oxford. 

Welt extension sole, 
walking heel and the 
snappy perforations com¬ 
bine to give a delightful 
smartness, 


Woolen 

Stockings 

A very complete as¬ 
sortment . in the rich 
Scotch mixtures 
$2.50 to $5.35. • 




1230 MARKET ST. 

1308 CHESTNUT ST. 


FIGURE 8 
Narrative Copy 


FIGURE 9 
Descriptive Copy 


climax in regard to three basic lasts for boys, 
and yet in the phrase “more about them to¬ 
morrow” it carries the interest forward. 


























34 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


DESCRIPTIVE APPROACH 

Although there is some use for pure argumen¬ 
tative and narrative copy in shoe retailing, the 
bulk of the advertising is in the descriptive form. 
The reason is that the public is, on the whole, 
thoroughly acquainted with all the benefits to be 
derived from foot coverings, and it looks mostly 
for a brief appeal to a buying motive and a de¬ 
scription of the characteristics upon which the 
appeal is based. 

Figure 9 shows how descriptive copy can be 
used to enable the customer to buy with greater 
discrimination. Incidentally, it is worth noting 
how this advertisement avoids technicalities and 
presents a description in special diction suited 
to women’s eyes. 

CONVERSATIONAL TONE 

In making his approach to the reader, the 
copy-writer may use one of several tones. If he 
is writing for a very conservative, exclusive 
store, his words should express the maximum of 
dignity and repose. If, however, he is writing 
for the average, progressive store, his message 
should be in easy, conversational style — in the 
form of a heart-to-heart talk with the prospec¬ 
tive customer. Figure 10 shows a conversational 
introduction combined with descriptive para¬ 
graphs. Figure n reproduces a special chatty 
form, artificial but effective for occasional use. 


PREPARING ATTRACTIVE COPY 35 

Not every retailer, of course, has the time for 
preparing an advertisement of the latter sort but 
everyone is able to talk freely and naturally to 
his customers if he so wills. 

The secret of the conversational tone is to use 
the imagination — to visualize a customer and 
to talk to him just as if he were present. In his 
speech a man does not shout over the house tops 
or use a strained, unnatural style, or wax boast¬ 
ful and bombastic. Nor will he do so in writing 
when he uses his pen as his tongue. 

PERSONAL TONE 

Ordinarily, for the conversational tone the 
copy-writer uses the editorial “we.” The ad¬ 
visability of this is that the copy then pertains 
to the store and not to any one individual. 
Sometimes, however, in cases where the name of 
one man is prominently identified with a store 
or make of shoe, the element of individuality 
has been successfully injected into the advertise¬ 
ments. 

Figure 12 is a case in point, showing the “I” 
form of statement and the personal signature. 
Figure 13 shows a composite type, a “we” tone 
combined with a positive but unnamed person¬ 
ality with the Tom Murray “meet me face-to- 
face” appeal. If the “I” tone is used at all, it 
should be used continuously. Either the store 
should advertise itself, or an individual should 
stand forth as the permanent symbol for it. 


36 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 



THE RESTOE 

JtnffUh walking fart U*t. A iturdy 
long wear Walk-Over shaped to tha 
foot. A brood tread with a low 
arch. A man * Ideal ahoe in the 
bifbest (fade Ru»»ia Viking eb*' 


Knowing How 

When you sit for* a Walk-Over 
fitting you sec one of the reasons for 
Walk-Over success. Notice the in¬ 
finite pains we take in measuring. 
Isn't it satisfying to find your sire and 
width in just the last you like? Yew 
,never have any misgivings about a 
Walk-Over. You know that thi$ 
6tore and the factory hold themselves 
responsible at aQ times. 


• THE AftCH FIT 
For men with deodar heel* who 
Want a ahoe to fit daac at the liutcp. 
Try thu last if you are hard fit. 
Every day men an fitted to tWa 
ahoe to their; 
greater tatUfnc- 
tloa. Equipped 
With Walk-Over 
Rubber H*M. 


*Son6r 


Jm-Houxz 


b> 


BodiZjrC 


POTiwnwnt At 


378 


WaiA|kil 4 t 


1Q» VWUneiw 


St- 





(FilCfU a—ApologVi <0 K C R 1 

^peaking of suffrage— t*w a .woman 


A lot of men « 

• • a 

And a lot of of women 

a • * 

Have all these year* 

• • # 

Amended their constitution 

a • • 

To fit their shoe* 

* • • 

Instead of'making thqir shoes 

« e a 

Fit their constitution. 

. i •• 

We used to think 


Who looked like a model 
« a V 

At the Shoe Style Show 
• , • * • 

And the seemed happy— 

• • • 

And we talked with both 
• • • 

And got the same answer 
' * » A 

Whispered in oqr, ear— 

- • t 

And we boughtW pair 


Of (he 6hoes ll ey named— 

* a a 

And we met the men 

• • a 

Who invented the ahoe— 

v a a a 

And wp fuurd that he 
a ■ a 

Had invested every cent 


Like everybody elae 
». • • a 

That if a shoe 

» • 

fyas easy and comfortable 

• a a 

It' fiad (o look 

Like a canal boat 
* • * . • 

And weight a ton— 

• • • 

And Wf 2,30 thought ( 
a -• • 

That if u shoe 

Was-good to look at. 

• • • 

It wouljl squeeze and pinch 

* a • 

And r iln your feet 

• • • 

And raise a crop 
* • a • a 

Of bunions and corns. 

* ' • • 

Until lone day 

• a a 

We saw a man 

a a a 

With good looking alioes 
a a • 

Who was smiling 

a a a 

And didn't look 

a a a 

As though they hurt— 
a • a 
And riot long after 

Arrti Prr**rY«i- ahoaa for man t)< T<*t vamm SIS to fu 


He had in the world 
♦ • • 

In sfioe experiment! 

• a • 

And la now a rich man 

a . 'a 

At FftE CENTS per pair 

a • « 

, From the shoe lie invented' * 

a a a 

And we' wish to say 

• • \ • 

On this day of days 
. • * • 

For EQUAL RIGHTS— 

• a a 

That men have nothing 

• • • 

\On women, nor women on men 
• • • 

For ARCH-PRESERVER Shoe* 
• • • 

Offer the same freedom 
a a a 

For the feet of both! 
a a a 

WE THANK YOU! 


FIGURE 10 

Conversational Tone in Introduction. 


FOR M£N AND DOY9 




moe 


HONEST ALL 
THROUGH 



Country Club— 
/. Ari—oct f««ia 
C+i/ 

Special 
Value at 
810.00 


COMFARE OUR PRICES 


*7 domond far 
myself abtalma 
com fan la ikaat 
uJudt o'* at [A. 
hm IliM amort 
laahlng. maUfluu14 
and long tutor tag 
aryl I eoVl atpat* 
any alltv wtan la 
daauuvi latt.* 

/^tfCSmMtma 


I cpn now offer you Genuu.n Calf Skin Shoe* — Euiervon honestly made fret*, 
toe to heel —at 89.00 and 9 10.00 a pair. 



_ €-\ 


Founder' 


Mon’a Shoe* $3. $9, 610, $12, $12.50 
Boye’ Shoes $6 and 67 

EMERSON SHOE STORES 

* 7 S Sommer Street 

••Corner 0mover ami Court Slreota. Boston 
•nr>» 

// Emcnon tSaa. or. «o. mid in yarn, aleinirr wriu m C C E»m Pack 
land.Ulan, fat Kit Luau free book. * loar Fact and 4 ,'uia* ami kit maul ardm 
outlag. Shoot tent prepaid 


FIGURE 12 
Personal Tone 


FIGURE n 

Special Conversational Tone 


i 

v 


on Shoes have had tHeir day in New Bedford now. 

FIGURE 13 

Variation of Personal Tone 



-Meet ¥* Fece to 

The Lid 

is off- 
















































PREPARING ATTRACTIVE COPY 


37 


INTERROGATORY TONE 

A further variation in the conversational tone 
pertains to the directness of the suggestion made 
to the reader. Usually the advertisement is 
worded as if the writer were just telling his tale 
to the reader, but sometimes a powerful appeal 



Stdnd Up arid Try Thu 



FIGURE 14 

Interrogatory Tone in Introduction 


can be made by asking questions. Compare the 
interrogatory tone in Figure 14 with the declara¬ 
tive tone in Figure 10. Questions may be as 
useful as statements if they are constructed so 
as to lead the reader straight to the desired 
answers. 







38 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


Still more effective than either statement or 
question is the command, because the sugges¬ 
tiveness of this is absolutely unescapable. This 
tone is impressive for arousing the reader from 
a state of indifference and inducing action, but 
its very power cautions against overuse. This 
tone is best confined to headlines, which will be 
discussed in the next chapter. 

Other varieties might be discussed — such as 
humorous, poetic, sentimental copy — but it is 
best for the shoe advertiser to dismiss them with 
the thought that they are dangerous unless ex¬ 
ceedingly well done. Filene’s “K.C.B.” copy in 
Figure n is conversational copy with a humor¬ 
ous touch because of the oddity of composition 
and arrangement. It is an attractive production 
that can give no offense and that has a strong 
pulling power. If the retailer can afford to have 
high class copy in some such special tone, all 
well and good. Otherwise he should keep away 
from “near-copy.” Flat jokes, childish poetry 
and maudlin sentimentality produce only dis¬ 
interest or dislike. It is foolish to become the 
target of this when interest is the sure result of 
a natural, friendly, conversational tone. 

TIMELINESS OF COPY 
PUBLIC APPRECIATES ALERTNESS 

An appeal to the proper buying motives and 
in the right words may be sufficient to induce 


PREPARING ATTRACTIVE COPY 39 

action on the part of the customer. It is con¬ 
ceivable, however, that copy which is perfect in 
this respect may fail to secure favorable atten¬ 
tion because the idea is too old or because the 
appeal comes at an inopportune time. Cus¬ 
tomers appreciate new ideas, and they like evi¬ 
dences of a desire to give them what they want 
when they want it. Hence alertness in the prep¬ 
aration of copy, so as to make it timely, is a val¬ 
uable quality. 

NEWS COPY 

In a sense, all advertising should have “news 
value”; that is, it should be based on facts that 
the public will like to know. The term is used 
here, however, with special reference to unusual 
facts. It is not news to the public that a shoe 
store wants to sell shoes, but it may be decidedly 
interesting news that the store has adopted a 
new service policy, that it is opening a new de¬ 
partment, that reports from styles centers pre¬ 
dict a certain vogue, and so on. An excellent 
example of real news copy is given in Figure 15. 
The public has a keen human interest in what 
is really new, and the advertiser who constantly 
seeks to have his writing show news value has 
a better chance of arousing interest in his store 
and its offerings. 

Another aspect of news copy is the applica^ 
tion of current outside news to the store itself. 


40 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


The wide-awake advertiser can frequently find 
newspaper reports of events that will serve as 
the texts for “pulling” advertisements. Suppose 
a report comes out that Ebenezer Jones in an¬ 
other town has lost $500 he had hidden in an 
old shoe; can not the advertiser well say, 
“You’ll Always Find Money in Our Shoes?” By 
taking cues from such unusual incidents, from 
social events and popular sentiment, the adver¬ 
tiser can often make his customer realize that 


AAAAA “ 

The FOOT-O-SCOPE 
takes the guess out 
of shoe fitting 



FIGURE is 
News Copy 


he is thoroughly alive to his merchandising pos¬ 
sibilities. He must, of course, use judgment and 
tact so as not to offend his customers’ prejudices 
or sympathies. Alertness that makes enemies 
defeats its own purpose. 










PREPARING ATTRACTIVE COPY 


4i 


HOLIDAY COPY 

The effect of timeliness can often be given to 
an advertisement by attaching it to some ref¬ 
erence to a current holiday. Public holidays are 
more regularly celebrated than ever before, and 
the wide awake advertiser will capitalize them 
whenever possible. He should have on his desk 
a list of every national holiday and every special 
one observed in his locality. Figure 17 shows 
an advertisement with a Thanksgiving note, 
quite appropriate for the land of Priscilla and 
John Alden. 

SEASONABLE COPY 

To one other type of timely advertising the 
advertiser should give never-ending attention. 
This is “seasonable” advertising. 

The retailer buys seasonal goods. He needs 
to sell them in season as fast as possible, in order 
to secure a high rate of turnover. Hence he 
must advertise seasonably. The earliness or 
lateness of the great weather changes, of course, 
makes the advertising a little less regular than 
the buying. Before any seasonal demand be¬ 
gins, however, the advertiser should be ready. 
This is the common-sense way of building up 
sales when the goods are fresh and buyers are 
in the most receptive mood. Figure 16 shows 
how a seasonable advertisement can be prepared 
attractively. 


42 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


BETWEEN-SEASONS COPY 

From the foregoing the reader should not con¬ 
clude that less space need be used toward the 
end of any season or between seasons. “Oh! 
this is the dull period — guess Ill let matters 
rest,” said the old-time shoe dealer. “Times are 
dull — then I won’t be with the times,” says the 
modern one — and he continues to advertise. 

Doubtless, it is most profitable to advertise 



FIGURE 16 FIGURE 17 

Seasonal Copy A Timely Holiday 

Advertisement 


when customers are in a buying mood, but just 
as certainly it is more profitable to make an 
extra effort in dull times than to eliminate all 
advertising. The reason is not simply that a 
break in the advertising causes a loss of momen- 













PREPARING ATTRACTIVE COPY 43 

turn. The main reason is that in the off-periods 
the retailer almost invariably has some excess 
stock or odds and ends to sell. The longer he 
holds these goods, the more of a burden on 
profits they become. The natural and profitable 
fill-in advertising between seasons, therefore, is 
bargain advertising, provided this type of sales 
plan is in keeping with the store’s merchandising 
policy. 

An appeal to pride, to pleasure and comfort, 
to durability or to affection has most weight in 
connection with seasonable advertising. An ap¬ 
peal to health is useful between seasons, but the 
greatest aid is the appeal to economy. This will 
pull the dollars even when the season is waning 
or gone. In season or out of season, therefore, 
there is no time when the retail shoe advertiser 
can afford to allow his business to drop out of 
the public mind. 


CHAPTER III 
SPECIAL PARTS OF COPY 

HEADLINE MUST BE STRONG 

In taking up now the several parts of an ad¬ 
vertisement, consideration will first be given to 
that important feature — the headline. Even 
when an illustration is used, the headline should 
be strong to rivet attention upon the advertise¬ 
ment. With tens, perhaps hundreds of adver¬ 
tisements competing for attention in the news¬ 
paper used by the store, the copy-writer must do 
the utmost to convince the reader at sight that 
this advertisement directly concerns him. The 
headline must secure favorable attention with 
enough interest to carry the attention to the 
remainder of the copy. 

How can this be done? By approaching the 
subject from the customer’s point of view and 
expressing it in a few simple, clear and specific 
words that appeal to a buying motive. By not 
making the headline so narrow in scope as to be 
uninviting, or so broad as to reveal everything 
in the advertisement. By not tricking the reader 
through some blind or mysterious headline; but 

44 


SPECIAL PARTS OF COPY 45 

by honestly making him feel that it will pay him 
to read further. 

The following comments regarding special 
types of headlines will illustrate these points. 
The oldest style of advertising headline is the 
“topical.” It consists in the use of some name 
such as “Shoes,” “Oxfords,” “Rubbers,” and the 
like. Such headlines usually are of no earthly 
use. They appeal to no buying motive; they 
offer not the slightest incentive to further read¬ 
ing. The well-informed advertiser of today does 
not use the topical form unless he has an attrac¬ 
tive name for a specific style or unless to a gen¬ 
eral term he can add a descriptive word that will 
appeal to some definite self-interest of the 
reader. Thus, as an instance, one advertisement 
features “The Duckbill,” an odd designation 
from which one naturally looks with interest to 
the illustration and comment following. Other 
advertisements lead off with “Sensible Foot¬ 
wear” and “Shoes for Vacation Days”; here the 
appeals to sense and to vacation pleasures are 
what redeem the headlines from weakness. 

ACTION 

At best, however, the topical headline has its 
limitations, and this fact has led to the develop¬ 
ment of the “action” headline. This variety, 
through the use of some verb form, suggest men¬ 
tal or physical action on the reader’s part. Gen- 


46 FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

erally too, it adopts the “you” attitude. Here 
are some examples: 

Graceful Walking in Cantilever Shoes 
Uncrumple Your Tired Toes 
Slide Your Feet into These Snappy Shoes 
Give Your Tired Toes Comfort That Lasts 

In each one there is a definite appeal to catch 
the attention and induce a reading of the re¬ 
mainder of the advertisement. If an “action” 
headline can be devised without forcing the idea, 
it is likely to be the one most satisfactory. 

Action can be expressed in the form of a state¬ 
ment, command or question. Where appropri¬ 
ate, the command form is best, for at the outset 
it tends to lead the readers’ mind more toward 
decision. The interrogative or question form is 
dangerous unless properly phrased. A question 
should not be used unless it is so worded that 
only one answer — the desired one — is sug¬ 
gested. “How Would You Like This Pair?” is 
defective, for it suggests no more the answer “I 
would” than the answer “Not for me!” The 
idea would better have been expressed in state¬ 
ment form thus, “You’d Like This Pair,” so as to 
suggest a favorable reaction. If the statement 
form is too direct to fit the case, a combination 
of statement and query can often be used. Thus, 
“Does the Boy Need New School Shoes?” be¬ 
comes not “The Boy Needs New School Shoes” 
but “The Boy Needs New School Shoes, Doesn’t 


SPECIAL PARTS OF COPY 


47 


He?” The last form contains a question, but 
the wording suggests the answer “Yes.” 

DIRECTNESS AND CANDOR 

Just what is meant by not making the head¬ 
line so broad as to reveal the whole advertise¬ 
ment is illustrated by this caption: “Improved 
Barefoot Sandals for the Kiddies.” The tenor 
of the advertisement is that barefoot sandals 
formerly had two straps, bothersome and stuffy, 
whereas the new model with one strap is easier 
to get into, stays on as well and looks neater. 
Were the headline to read “One-Strap Barefoot 
Sandals for the Kiddies,” the whole subject of 
the advertisement would be made evident with¬ 
out any effort to carry the reader’s attention 
along. The word “improved” in the original 
headline not only makes a more suggestive ap¬ 
peal to the mother’s love but also arouses a curi¬ 
osity that leads to sustained attention. 

In any type of headline the writer should con¬ 
sider what may be the reaction of the reader. It 
is possible, in fact quite probable that those who 
read were not favorably impressed by this head¬ 
line: “We Are Forced to Turn Black and Brown 
Leather Shoes into Yellow Gold.” “So they’ve 
got to turn their shoes into my money,” the 
reader doubtless said, “well, I’ve something to 
say about that! ” Here the advertiser was think¬ 
ing not in terms of the customer but in terms of 
himself. The result was certain — unfavorable 


48 FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

attention, and no reading further than the head¬ 
line. Similar to this example is the tricky 
headline “500 Men Wanted,” followed by “to 
buy our low-price shoes” in smaller type; and 
the scare-head caption “Death,” followed by “to 
all Odds and Ends.” Such misleading captions 
arouse only distrust and antagonism. 

The shorter the headline is, the better — pro¬ 
vided it contains a definite selling appeal. From 
four to seven words is the usual number. The 
eye finds it difficult to grasp more than seven 
words at one glance. 

ILLUSTRATIONS HELPFUL 

It is by no means impossible to construct an 
effective advertisement without an illustration. 
Nevertheless, an illustrated advertisement is 
more likely to be singled out and read. “A pic¬ 
ture,” so runs the Japanese proverb, “is worth a 
thousand words.” Text matter gives up its mes¬ 
sage slowly; a picture tells its story at a glance. 
Every reader is fully aware of this, and he nat¬ 
urally turns his eye first to the pictorial sections 
of the page. As a catcher of attention, the illus¬ 
tration gets results more surely and quickly than 
the headline. Hence it pays the advertiser to 
use illustrations provided they are good and have 
an obvious reason for being there. A bad or out- 
of-place illustration is a worse handicap than 
none at all. 

The shoe retailer does not have the diversity 


SPECIAL PARTS OF COPY 


49 


of merchandise that characterizes some stores, 
such as the hardware store or department store, 
but he can devise many illustrations that will 
serve to set off his advertisement from the read¬ 
ing columns and from other advertisements. He 



FIGURE 18 

Conventional Eye-Catchers 

may use, (i) illustrations that merely indicate 
in a general way the nature of the advertise¬ 
ments, (2) those that show the very goods 
advertised, (3) those that show the use of these 







50 FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

goods or (4) those that depict special stage 
settings for the main ideas. 

1. General eye-catchers: The simplest form 
of illustration is a conventional design or a pic¬ 
ture with a very general subject, as shown in 
Figure 18. Such illustrations are useful in that 
they recognize the reader’s liking for pictures 
and establish the shoe individuality of the adver¬ 
tisements. They have a weakness, however, in 
their generality. They attract attention, but 
they are limited in their power to focus this at- 


\ 



FIGURE 19 
Illustrating the Goods 


tention upon what follows. They just catch the 
eye; the remainder of the advertisement must 
do all the work of arousing interest, desire and 
action. 

From this it should be evident that if an eye- 
catcher creates unfavorable attention, it has 
failed in the only thing it can do. For this reason 



SPECIAL PARTS OF COPY 51 

an eye-catcher that has no relation to footwear 
should be avoided. No matter how pretty a 
picture may be, the reader does not like to find 
out that it has nothing at all to do with the sub¬ 
ject of the advertisement. Pictorial enjoyment 
is lost in dislike of trickery. 

2. The goods: More effective than the simple 
eye-catcher is the illustration that gives a clear- 



cut reproduction of the article advertised. Even 
if most shoes do look more or less alike, the pro¬ 
spective customer always likes to see what he is 
going to get for his money. The illustration may 
be in flat, outline form (Figure 19 — Ormond) 
or with high and low lights (Figure 19 — Clem- 









52 FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

ent). The latter form gives a more realistic 
image, but both make clear the distinguishing 
features of the model. 

In this connection it should not be overlooked 
that in the case of a novelty a picture will ex¬ 
plain in an instant what words might leave an¬ 
noyingly vague. In one instance we find an 
advertisement whose word message is this: “The 
latest effect for autumn wear — Ankle Strap 
Dress Pumps. This model must be seen 
for its novelty and beauty to be appreciated.” 



FIGURE 21 
Showing Goods in Use 


Perhaps a regular customer might go to look at 
it, but in its appeal to the general public how 
weak it is when contrasted with the illustrated 






SPECIAL PARTS OF COPY 53 

advertisement shown in Figure 20. This speaks 
the immediately-understood language of pic¬ 
tures. 

3. Use of goods: A picturing of shoes in use 
is advantageous not only because it breaks up 
the monotony of mere shoe illustrations but also 
for the reason that it introduces the attention- 
compelling element of motion or arouses more 
vivid associations in the reader’s mind, or both. 
Thus in Figure 21 the children on the way to 
school, the wet-weather shoe splashing across the 
street and the between-the-dances chat all give 
vivid portrayals of the use of the shoe adver¬ 
tised. 

Furthermore, the school and the dancing ad¬ 
vertisements show why it is often desirable to 
combine a picture of the goods with one of their 
use. Without the shoe the school advertisement 
might flash to the reader’s mind the idea of caps, 
or the ballroom advertisement the idea of even¬ 
ing clothes. The portrayal of the shoe prevents 
a misdirection of attention. Of course, where 
the picture showing makes the foot especially 
prominent, as in the wet-weather instance, no 
separate illustration of the shoe is needed. In 
many cases the goods and their use can thus be 
illustrated together, for it is not always neces¬ 
sary to picture a man’s head to show what his 
feet are doing. Every illustration should con¬ 
tain only the essentials. 

4. Stage setting: Sometimes the news idea in 


54 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 






CORRECT SHOES and SMART HOSIERY 

FOR KIDDIES OF ALL ACES 


e Models in 
<e at the New 
This Week 


FIGURE 22 
Stage-Setting Type of 
Picture 


the advertisement, or the 
selling point emphasized in 
it, is suited to the portrayal 
of a special stage setting. 
Figure 22 contains two illus¬ 
trations of this sort. The il¬ 
lustration in the first vividly 
depicts the idea that the 
woman who wears “J & K” 
shoes is ready to recommend 
them in glowing terms. The 
picture in the second carries 
out the idea of the style 
show where nine little 
models in “Jane’s Juvenile 
Revue” are showing the 
“Toe-Trainers” advertised. 
This second advertisement, 
too, indicates how the set¬ 
ting can be dominated by ^ 
a shoe picture if the type of 
shoe warrants special at¬ 
tention. 


LIMITS OF MAIN TEXT 

The main text, or “body” of the advertise¬ 
ment, contains the discussion of the selling 
points. The headline and the illustration point 
out the story; the body tells it. But how exten¬ 
sive should the story be? 








SPECIAL PARTS OF COPY 


55 


In the first place, the shoe advertiser should 
not as a rule attempt to sell a dozen models of 
shoes in one advertisement. The argument is 
sometimes presented that the small dealer who 
cannot afford to advertise at least two or three 
times a week, or who has only a weekly news¬ 
paper in his town, would better use “omnibus” 
copy — that is, crowd in all the types he can. 
It is contended that for him more sales per dollar 
of advertising investment will come from featur¬ 
ing twelve styles than two. There is some truth 
in this, but only a limited “some.” Types that 
appeal to radically different buying motives 
should not be, under any condition, grouped. 
Stylish shoes for town women and heavyweight 
shoes for farmers’ outside wear do not belong in 
the same advertisement; two separate pieces of 
copy in the same paper would be better. Fur¬ 
thermore, the small dealer has only a small 
number of types that suit each definite buying 
motive. The omnibus advertisement, therefore, 
has distinct limitations even for the small dealer. 

A glance at the advertisements reproduced so 
far, will show this fundamental point of simi¬ 
larity — each one talks about a particular style 
of shoe, or appeals to one main buying motive 
upon the basis of not more than three or four 
typical styles. In this fact there is a world of 
advice to every advertiser. It doesn’t pay to 
try to drive two nails at once. It is much more 
profitable to take one style or one main buying 


56 FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

appeal with a few types, and concentrate the 
effort on those. This is true even at the time 
of special sales. It is not necessary to catalog 
every reduced price. All that is needed is the 
announcement of the general percentage reduc¬ 
tion or the citation of typical savings, with a 
general appeal to economy. 

In the second place, the advertiser should bear 
in mind that there is a difference between men 
and women in regard to the amount of copy ad¬ 
visable. In reason-why copy the paramount 
requirement, for either man or woman, is to pile 
up the proof, so as to make the conclusion com¬ 
pelling. In suggestive copy, too, it is essential 
that the description should not be so short- 
spoken as to repel human interest. A mere cata¬ 
log description like “Patent, high, $10,” is actu¬ 
ally repellant in comparison with an easy, nat¬ 
ural selling-point description, such as: “This is 
a handsome $10 dress boot of patent leather, 
tailored to perfection. You’ll delight in the trim 
effect and glove-like fit.” Just how far one 
should extend himself in suggestive copy, how¬ 
ever, is a matter that should be considered in 
the light of the prospective customers’ sex. 

Women like details; men dread them. Women 
are more suspicious of general statements; men 
are more inclined to accept suggestions without 
complete details. In preparing copy on men’s 
shoes, therefore, the advertiser should, both in 
the discussion of the buying motive and in the 


SPECIAL PARTS OF COPY 


57 


description of particular styles, shorten the 
wording as much as he can without impairing 
the clearness of the appeal. For women’s shoes, 
however, he may let his pen run with freedom 
as long as he can find non-technical details of 
real interest. 

MENTION OF PRICE 

Without the price an advertisement of a spe¬ 
cific shoe or line of shoes is like a tale half told. 
Perhaps the idea of telling only half would be 
all right if the advertisement would bring the 
maximum number of customers into the store. 
But it will not. Customers who are looking for 
the price-mark will go to some other store that 
advertises this information. 

The reasons for this are simple. The average 
man has neither the time nor the inclination to 
inquire whether an advertised article is within 
the range of his own pocketbook. The average 
woman is more than willing to shop around a 
bit, but she is most likely to look in those stores 
whose prices she knows are within her allowance 
or budget. When a woman reads a glowing de¬ 
scription of a pair of shoes and then finds that 
the price has been omitted, she is not so curious 
as she is suspicious. “The price of that must be 
way up,” is her immediate reaction. One out 
of ten may be able to judge the value accurately 
from the description, but the other nine will 
likely place it too high. 


58 FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

Occasionally there is a very exclusive store 
with a clientele to whom price is no considera¬ 
tion. In the average reader’s mind, however, 
the great question is, “How much?” So for most 
stores there is absolutely no doubt that price- 
stating makes the advertisement more effective. 
It does not drive away trade, unless by re¬ 
peatedly advertising low prices or high prices the 
store either deliberately or unintentionally gains 
the reputation of catering to only one class of 
buyers. The proper procedure for the store with 
a general trade is to advertise part of the time 
high-priced goods, emphasizing quality and 
style, and part of the time lower-priced goods, 
emphasizing economy plus other appeals. 

STORE NAME PROMINENT 

The best rule for using the store name is to 
place it at the bottom of the advertisement, or 
at both the top and the bottom. The bottom is 
preferable for the small advertisement; but both 
points may well be used for the large one in 
order that the name may be visible even when 
the page is folded. This rule avoids a waste of 
space and useless repetition, and at the same 
time places the name in most emphatic position. 

Whether or not the address of the store should 
be used with its name depends mostly upon the 
size of the community. A retailer in a small 
country town, with few stores, does not need 
a street address — he may not even have one; 


SPECIAL PARTS OF COPY 59 

but the large town and city dealer ought to in¬ 
clude some form of address. One object of ad¬ 
vertising is to draw new customers into the 
store. No harm is done by making the acquaint¬ 
anceship as easy as possible for them. 

Of the making of name designs there will be 
no end, as long as the ingenuity of printers and 
artists holds out. There is no standard form. 
Any form is commendable provided it does not 
occupy too much space, is perfectly legible and 
appears distinctive. 

PLEASING THE EYE 

POWERFUL COPY NOT EVERYTHING 
To attract favorable attention, an advertise¬ 
ment must please the eye. If it fails to do this, 
it matters little whether the copy is a mass of 
strong suggestions or just a prattle of platitudes, 
for the buyer will not read it. Nor will he act 
upon the advertisement if the appearance leads 
to reading and the discovery that the copy is 
nothing but “wind.” It is not a matter of ap¬ 
pearance being more important than copy, or 
copy than appearance. Both are essential. 

Appearance is a matter of “display” in the 
printed form. An attractive illustration and a 
powerful headline have attention value and 
please the eye; but display means more than 
this. Various details concerning the whole copy 
enter into display. Some have to do with the 


6o 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


attracting of favorable attention; others 
concern the sustaining of favorable attention so 
as not to detract from the reader’s interest. The 
following sections will discuss these two classes. 

POSITION AND SIZE 

The first points of which advertisers often 
think are position and size. Without a doubt 
the eye is quicker to see some portions of a news¬ 
paper page than others, and the advertiser may 
well consider the matter of position for small 
advertisements. At the top of a column, next 
to reading matter, on the editorial page — such 
positions as these do not make an advertisement 
more pleasing to the eye but they make it more 
prominent. If the advertiser can afford to pay 
the extra price that newspapers charge for such 
special positions, all right. Even then, however, 
he ought to understand fully the principles of 
display that will make an advertisement pleasing 
in any position. 

A page advertisement is more easily seen than 
a three-inch single-column one, but display does 
not depend on mere size. Rather is display one 
of the factors that determines size. The amount 
of copy that has been prepared, and the neces¬ 
sity of displaying it attractively, indicates what 
the size ought to be. However, the advertising 
appropriation indicates whether that size can be 
used and, if not, how much the copy must be cut. 
This point is important because some sellers of 


SPECIAL PARTS OF COPY 61 

advertising space are prone to assert that proper 
display is impossible except in the largest ad¬ 
vertisements. This is false. Proper display is 
possible in the smallest advertisement. If the 
shoe advertiser uses as much space as his copy 
requires and his pocketbook permits, and obeys 
the dictates of good display, he need not worry 
about getting the reader’s eye. 

WHITE SPACE 

What, then, is the first requisite of good dis- 



FIGURE 23 

Illustrating Principles of Good Display 


play? Enough room for the copy! Or, to re¬ 
verse the idea, a sufficient provision of “white 




62 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


space.” Some advertisers like to crowd into 
their space every possible bit of gray or black 
color from type and illustration. That is a mis¬ 
take because the reader’s eye is not pleased to 
see an advertisement that looks like a size 9 foot 
in a size 7 shoe. One authority says that one- 
fifth white space produces attractive display. 
This is at least suggestive. The advertiser, of 
course, can not take time to work out the color 
areas in square inches; but if he always uses 
ample margins and does not crowd type or 
borders against illustrations, he will come close 
to the mark. Figure 23 is an excellent example 
of the work of an advertiser who realizes the 
attention-value of white space. 

BORDERS 

The function of the border is to tie the adver¬ 
tisement together and give it the appearance of 
unity and trimness. When an advertisement is 
entirely surrounded by reading matter or by 
page margins and reading matter, it may be suffi¬ 
ciently distinctive without a border. On the 
whole, however, a border proves useful in fixing 
a clear-cut limit to the space. 

Generally the finest work can be done with 
simple border effects. A border is ornamental, 
but care must be exercised lest the eye be drawn 
to it too much. If it is too elaborate or too wide, 
it secures attention by force rather than attrac¬ 
tiveness. If it is too black when the remainder 


SPECIAL PARTS OF COPY 


63 


of the advertisement is light, or vice versa, it 
draws the eye by incongruity rather than har¬ 
mony. In such cases the eye is displeased and 
is less likely to move forward with favorable 
attention to the remainder of the advertisement. 



In Figure 23 the light border is fully appropri¬ 
ate to the generally light advertisement. 

Figure 24 illustrates borders that printers 
































64 FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

carry in stock. Sometimes advertisers use spe¬ 
cially drawn borders, as in Figures 5, 10 and 
17. Such borders give an individualistic touch 
that satisfied customers are always glad to recog¬ 
nize. 

ILLUSTRATION AIDS 

All other points being equal, an illustration 
that shows motion is more attractive than one 
that does not. This is the basic reason for the 
attractiveness of many pictures showing goods 
in use. When the pose of a figure or object is 
such as to suggest a snap-shot of actual motion, 
the reader’s eye is more likely to light with in¬ 
terest. It will be worth while to glance back 
at Figures 6, 8, 10, n, 14, 21 and 22, and ob¬ 
serve how each gives in some way the idea of 
present or just-suspended movement. 

In case the illustration must be “still,” per¬ 
haps it is possible to increase the attention value 
through contrast. Where it is possible to throw 
into sharp contrast the faulty and the perfect, it 
should be done. Reference to Figure 3 will show 
what can be accomplished along this line. Fur¬ 
thermore, it pays to give attention to contrast 
between mere light and dark illustrations where 
more than one is used. Notice how the three 
illustrations in Figure 16 stand out. 

Another way of helping the eye in the case of 
some still pictures is to use arrows or darts. 
Figure 25 is illustrative. Such signs help to 


SPECIAL PARTS OF COPY 65 

make the meaning of the advertisement clear 
but they are also useful as primary means of 



securing attention. The eye is quick to recog¬ 
nize any device that is helpful to it. 

BALANCE AND THE OPTICAL CENTER 

A discussion has now been given of the several 
points relating to the attraction of favorable at¬ 
tention. What are the means of sustaining 
such attention? The first is “balance.” 

The skilful advertiser arranges the headline, 
the one or more illustrations and the sections of 
type so as to secure a general balance around the 
optical center (a point slightly above the center 
of the advertising space). Probably the require¬ 
ments of balance can best be summarized in this 








66 FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

way: Try to concentrate the display into large 
masses of white, gray and black; place equal 
masses at equal distance from the optical center, 
and unequal masses at unequal distances (the 
larger mass closer the center). Figure 23 will 
serve to illustrate. The type panel at the top, 
it will be noticed, is slightly off-center to balance 
the trade-mark but the illustration and the ad¬ 
dress data at the bottom are properly placed 
with respect to the optical center. 

INWARD GAZE 

Man’s gaze is a fickle thing; it often takes the 
slightest excuse to wander off. With two such 
excuses the shoe advertiser should be ac¬ 
quainted. 

The natural tendency of the eye is to look 
from the base of a triangle to the point. Conse¬ 
quently the advertiser should be careful in using 
a triangular headline to grade the lines down¬ 
ward, as in Figure 15. Of course the divisions 
into which the headline naturally falls must be 
considered. Moreover, the reader’s eye may 
overlook a small violation of the point-down 
principle. The advertiser will do well, however, 
to revise his headline, if necessary, to^keep it 
from pointing unmistakably to the advertise¬ 
ment above. 

The eye also instinctively follows the gaze of 
another. This fact makes it necessary to con¬ 
sider the position of persons as shown in illustra- 


SPECIAL PARTS OF COPY 


67 


tions. It is not well to place a figure so that the 
direction indicated will tend to carry the reader’s 
gaze to the adjoining advertisement. If a figure 
is to be used, it ought to work for the advertiser, 
not against him. Notice the appropriate pose 
of the head in Figure 5; carrying the reader’s 
gaze in toward the text. 

READABLE TYPE 

And what about type? An understanding of 
typographical art is so essential to the shoe ad¬ 
vertiser that a special and detailed discussion of 
it is being reserved for the next chapter. It 
seems well to mention here, however, one fre¬ 
quent misconception of advertisers. 

Advertisers should beware of the idea that too 
much large and black type cannot be used. Nat¬ 
urally the headline and the store name, in order 
to attract the eye, need not only the prominence 
of position and surrounding white space but also 
the prominence of large black type. But would 
attention be sustained by such type for the body 
of the advertisement? No] Huge, black type 
for the main text would seek to compel attention, 
and forced attention is not likely to be favorable. 
On the other hand, type of moderate size and 
darkness is what the eye is accustomed to in most 
of its reading. The use of such type makes 
reading natural, easy and pleasant; the atten¬ 
tion it draws is favorable and lasting. 

Proper display in the body of an advertise- 


68 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


ment, therefore, requires no more the shouting 
of very large and black type than it does the 
whispering of very small and light type. It 
needs just the conversational tone of type of 
moderate size and distinctness. 

AVOID FREAK DISPLAYS 

A final word of caution should be added 
against an undue passion for “originality.” 
Copy printed bottom side up or sideways; copy 
printed around circles or at different angles in 
the points of a star; words printed each letter 
below the preceding one — all such devices make 
the reader strain his neck or his eye. Such dis¬ 
play should be avoided. It is an attempt at orig¬ 
inality, but it really shows nothing but poor 
judgment. It may compel attention at first, just 
as any freak device does, but the eye does not 
linger where its work will be unpleasant. 


CHAPTER IV 
OUTLINING THE DISPLAY 

LAYOUT IN MASS 

After the copy has been prepared, the easiest 
way to indicate the desired display is to take 
a separate sheet and make a “layout.” This is 
simply a rough sketch of the advertisement as 
it is to appear. There are two kinds of layouts. 
A layout “in mass” shows simply the location 
and the relative size of the white, grey and black 
spaces. A layout “in detail” gives explicit in¬ 
structions for the printer in regard to typeset¬ 
ting and arrangement of individual parts. 

For a layout in mass this is the procedure: 
With a black pencil draw the border in its pro¬ 
portionate size, and then draw heavy lines close 
together to indicate the position and length of 
the headlines and the other display lines. For 
the illustration make a patch of dark or light 
lines, according as it is in solid or outline form. 
For the body type draw light lines far enough 
apart to give a gray appearance. Be sure to 
leave the desired amount of white space at the 
various points. 

When the advertiser has thus indicated the 

69 


70 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


color masses, as in Figure 26a, he can, by hold¬ 
ing the layout at arm's length and slightly closing 
his eyes, secure a fine impression of the mass pro¬ 
portions and balance. If he has an artistic sense 
and his eye is pleased with the arrangement he 
may feel assured that the general plan of layout 
is suitable. 

LAYOUT IN DETAIL 

If the advertiser for any reason prefers not to 
make a mass layout, he may pass directly to the 
layout in detail for the printer. This layout 
is vital, if the printer is to know what the adver¬ 
tiser wants. A printer should be thus instructed 
or else be allowed to use his own judgment. If 
the advertiser does not use a detailed layout and 
finds that the advertisement is not what he 
wanted, the fault is his own. 

The layout for the printer as shown in Figure 
26b, does not need to be a work of art. All that 
the advertiser needs to do is to take pencil and 
paper, and furnish the following data: 

1. Show the size of the advertisement in inches and in 

columns. 

2. Indicate the position of any illustration either by 

marking the size of the space to be occupied or by 
pasting-in a proof (press the engraving on an ink 
pad and make an impression on smooth paper). 

3. Mark the style of border to be used, and state whether 

it is to be continuous or broken at any point. 

4. Indicate the size and the style of display type, writing 


OUTLINING THE DISPLAY 


7 i 

the lines in or lettering them roughly to show the 
positions. 

5. Mark the size and the style of type for the body of 

the advertisement and indicate the position of the 
text by inserting blocks of lines, or borders (if panels 
are to be used). 

6. To make sure that parts of the body do not get out of 

place, write the first words of each part in the lay¬ 
out, as in Figure 26b; or mark each section of the 
body on the copy sheet and the corresponding sec¬ 
tion of the layout with letters, “a,” “b,” “c,” etc., 
or numbers, 1, 2, 3, etc. 

With these instructions before him the printer 
when he gets the copy sheet and the layout, 
knows exactly what is wanted. 

If the dealer has a fair idea of the apportion¬ 
ing of display elements, and if he makes a prac¬ 
tice of clipping attractive advertisements from 
metropolitan newspapers and trade magazines, 
where the most up-to-date advertising thought is 
expressed, he will not have difficulty in planning 
the layout. 


SELECTING THE TYPE 

KNOWLEDGE OF THE TYPE 

It will be noticed that in Figure 26b is shown 
a notation to the printer in regard to the type to 
be used. This brings up the question of the ad¬ 
vertiser’s knowledge of type. The advertiser is 
not a printer, but he needs to know something 
about the tools with which the printer works, 
for these have a material effect upon display. 


72 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 




VARIATIONS IN TYPE 

The first step in acquiring the ability to make 
type do its best work is for the advertiser to 
learn the basic variations in type construction. 
These concern three points: size, “face” and 


FIGURE 26a FIGURE 26b 

Mass Layout Layout in Detail 
































OUTLINING THE DISPLAY 


73 


i. Size: For the sake of standardization, the 
loosely used names that once designated the type 
length have largely given way to actual meas¬ 
urements based upon the division of the inch 
into 72 “points.” The distance up and down 
across the upper end of the type block is stated 
in points. Thus a block measuring 6/72 of an 
inch is called 6-point. The face, or actual print¬ 
ing surface of the letter, is less than this on ac¬ 
count of the “shoulder” that is left to provide 
space between lines. 

Display type — the heavier sort used for 
headings, sub-headings, prices, names, and other 
matter needing emphasis — comes in graduated 
sizes from 6-point to 72-point. The most usual 
sizes are 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 
54, 60 and 72-point. Some metal type is cast 
as high as 120-point, but most type above 72- 
point is made of wood. Figure 27 gives part of 
the size run in one variety of display type. 

Body type — the lighter kind used for setting 
the main text of the advertisement — ranges 
from 5-point to 18-point. The full series is 5, 
5 i, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 and 18-point. The 
7, 9 and 11-point sizes, however, are not avail¬ 
able in many newspaper offices. The face of 
body type is lighter than the face of display type 
even when both are of the same size and style. 

The unit for measuring the width of type is 
the “em.” The letter “m” in any size takes a 
block as wide as it is long. It therefore serves 


74 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


CHELTENHAM 

6 point Cheltenham 

ABCDEFQHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVabcdefghijklmnopqrsturwxyzabcdefghijke 
8 point Cheltenham 

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcde 

.fo point Cheltenham 

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOabcdefghijklmnopqr^tuvwxym 

12 point Cheltenham 

ABCDEFGHIjKLMNabcdefghijkLmnopqUituv 

14 point Cheltenham 

ABCDEFGHIJKLabcdefghijklmnopqd 

18 point Cheltenham • 


ABCDEF GFlIabcdefghijklmno 

24 point Cheltenham 



30 point Cheltenham 


ABCDEFabcdefghij 

36 point Cheltenham 

ABCDEabcdego 

48 point Cheltenham 

ABCDabcni 

FIGURE 27 

Some Variations in Type Size 


OUTLINING THE DISPLAY 


75 


as a useful unit in measuring the amount of type, 
whether wide or narrow letters, set in a line. 
Thus an 8-point line is measured in ems which 
are 8 points by 8 points square. 

Since the em varies in size and the lines per 
inch vary in number according to the type used, 
newspapers employ special units for identifying 
the width of their columns and for measuring the 
length of advertisements. The width is meas¬ 
ured in 12-point ems or “pica” ems (six to an 
inch), and the usual column is 13 pica ems or 
2% inches wide. For advertising, the newspaper 
charges for the width regardless of the size of 
type used. Similarly for length it usually figures 
on the basis of the old “agate line,” which sets 
14 lines to the inch. The newspaper, therefore, 
sells white space so many pica ems wide and so 
many agate lines long, and the advertiser can 
use it for illustration, small or large type, or 
white display as he pleases. 

2. Face: Type foundries produce a great va¬ 
riety of different type faces. Even body type, 
Which varies less than display type, has its many 
styles. The primary body type is the very light- 
face Old-Style Roman, like this in 8-point: 

This healthful action prevents arch weakness. 

Modern Roman, which practically all news¬ 
papers use, is slightly heavier: 

This healthful action prevents arch weakness. 

These are the two most-used body types, though 


76 FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

there are several other types that are modelled 
after these. 

Besides the “script” and “Old English” forms, 
which are unsuited for general advertising, dis¬ 
play type has many faces. One display series 


12 point Cheltenham Italic 

ABCDfiFGHIJKLMabadefghijklmnopqriluOn 

12 point Cheltenham Bold 

ABCDEFGHIJKLMabcdefghijklmnopqi 

12 point Bookman 

ABCDEFGHIJKL abcdefghijklmnopqrs 

12 point New Caslon 0 . S. 

ABCDEFGHIJKL abcdefghijklmnopqr 

) 

i2 point Caslon Bold Italic 

ABCDEFGH1KS abcdefghijkltnnopi 

12 point Lining Gothic 

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQJ 

12 point John Hancock Condensed 

ABCDEFGHlJKLMNOPQRabcdefghijklmnopqrsf 

12 point Plymouth Italic 

AUC'DEFGHJabcdefghljKJmr 


!2 point Webb 



FIGURE 28 

Specimen Faces of Display Type 


or “family” may have a “regular” face, a heavier 
or bold face, an italic face, a bold italic face, a 
thin or “condensed” face, a fat or “extended” 


OUTLINING THE DISPLAY 


77 


face, and so on. And of course, the different 
series show different family characteristics in the 
formation of the letters. Altogether there are 
more than a thousand different display faces. 
Manifestly it is impossible for one printer to 
carry them all. Sufficient varieties are given in 
Figure 28, however, to enable the reader to ap¬ 
preciate that any printer is likely to have vary¬ 
ing styles which make an intelligent selection 
necessary. 

3. Case: The word “case” refers to the box 
in which the unset type is held. The type most 
frequently used in any size, the small letters, like 
these you are reading at present, are kept in the 
most accessible or lower part of the case. Hence 
such type is called “lower case.” LARGE 
LETTERS, LIKE THESE, ARE KEPT 
ABOVE AND ARE CALLED “CAPS” OR 

“UPPER CASE.” IN BODY TYPE THERE IS A 
THIRD SIZE, LIKE THIS, CALLED “SMALL CAPS.” 

BASES OF CHOICE 

With type of varying cases, style and size from 
which to choose, it may seem that the shoe ad¬ 
vertiser must find himself lost in a maze of de¬ 
tails. The subject is complicated to be sure, but 
the advertiser can secure generally good results 
in typesetting if he bears these points in mind: 

1. Display type should not be used for the body of the 
advertisement, unless the space is large and the 


78 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


text small, or unless the type has a comparatively 
light face. Light display type may often be ap¬ 
propriately used for introduction or for special 
paragraphs in large spaces. 

2. Many display faces should not be mixed. It is rarely 

necessary to use more than two styles, and often 
different widths or varieties in the same family 
are best. When two different styles are necessary 
they should be chosen with an eye to similarity 
and harmony. A conflicting combination like 
Webb and Gothic should never be permitted. 

3. The display type chosen should fit the article. A 

heavy, black, solid-looking type is suitable for 
advertising working shoes, but it hardly becomes 
an advertisement for “Milady.” 

4. A larger size and heavier face of display type is 

needed in a closely printed advertisement than 
in an open one (with lots of white space), in 
order to get a sharper contrast between black 
and gray. 

5. In general, however, headlines of 60 and 7 2-points 

are too large for newspaper advertising. The most 
useful sizes are from 48-point to 30-point for 
quarter-page advertisements down to 18-point or 
12-point for single-column ones. 

6. A smaller size than 6-point should never be used 

in body type, and this only for descriptive para¬ 
graphs. Better in general is it to use 8 or 10- 
point for items and 10 or 12-point for introduc¬ 
tory matter in the average single or double column 
advertisement. In larger advertisements larger 
introductory type should be used, depending upon 
the length of line. 

7. Large type is not easily read in narrow columns, nor 

small type in wide. It has been adjudged that 
the proper maximum widths of line for body type 


OUTLINING THE DISPLAY 


79 


are as follows: 6-point, not over 18 pica ems or 
3 inches; 8-point, not over 26 pica ems or 4J 
inches, and io-point, not over 36 pica ems or 
6 inches. The larger sizes, 12, 14, and 18- 
point, may be used correspondingly, up to page 
width. 

8. Lower case, regular face, is easier to read, and the 

body should be set in this except when special 
words need the emphasis of caps, small caps, 
italics, or bold face. Such emphasis should be 
used most sparingly or it will defeat itself. 

9. Printers are inclined to overdo the use of capital 

letters. A headline set in upper and lower case 
(only the first letters of the principal words capi¬ 
talized) is more readable than all caps. 

10. The use of leads (spaces between lines) is advis¬ 
able where an especially open appearance is de¬ 
sired or when the type must be set in “wide meas¬ 
ure” (long lines). 

ESTIMATING SPACE 

The advertiser is aided in his selection of type 
if he is familiar with the way hand-written or 
typewritten words work out in advertising space. 
Take, for example, the matter of headline. If 
he wants a caption for a double-column adver¬ 
tisement, he ought to consider the number of 
letters that can be used for this space in the de¬ 
sired size of type, or what size of type the de¬ 
sired headline will require. In this connection 
the following table of average widths (average 
because of variations in the widths of letters of 
different styles) will be found useful: 


8 o 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


Average Number of Letters in a One-Column Line 
(Column 21/6 Inches Wide) 


All Caps Caps and Lower Case 


12-point.... 


18 

12-point. . . . 

. .. .About 22 

14-point.... 

u 

15 

14-point. .. . 

.... “ i 9 

16-point.... 

u 

13 

16-point. .. . 

.... “ 17 

18-point.... 

u 

II 

18-point. .. . 

.“ 15 

24-point.... 

u 

9 

24-point. .. . 

.... “ 11 

30-point. ... 

(t 

7 

30-point. .. . 

.... “ 9 

36-point.... 

u 

6 

36-point. .. . 

. .. . “ 8 

48-point.... 

(( 

4 

48-point. .. . 

.... “ 5 


Space between words should be counted as one letter. 


The advertiser will do well to find out what 
sizes the printer has in the preferred display 
type, and to prepare a scale for from one to as 
many columns as he is likely to use. 

Useful tables for judging the space require¬ 
ments of body type are these: 

Number of Words in One Square Inch 


Solid Leaded Solid Leaded 


6-point. .. 

•• 47 

33 

11-point. .. 

.. 17 

14 

7-point... 

.. 38 

27 

12-point. .. 

.. 14 

11 

8-point. .. 

.. 30 

21 

14-point. .. 



9-point. .. 


20 

18-point. .. 

•• 7 


io-point. .. 


16 






























OUTLINING THE DISPLAY 


81 


Number of Words in One-Column Inch 
(Column 21/6 Inches Wide) 

Solid Leaded Solid Leaded 


6-point.. . 

. . 106 

87 

io-point. .. , 

• 47 

36 

7-point. . . 

• • 85 

60 

11-point. ... 

.. 38 

3 i 

8-point. .. 

.. 72 

5 i 

12-point. .. 

• • 3 1 

25 

9-point. .. 

.. 63 

47 





“Leaded,” as here used, means that the lines of type 
are divided with 2-point leads. 

The advertiser who wishes to be considerate 
of the printer and at the same time insure the 
best work will either figure the amount of copy 
or else give the printer a free hand in regard to 
space. Since the advertiser’s pocketbook must 
stand the cost, the first course is preferable. 
After the advertiser has prepared his copy and 
the layout, therefore, he should check the space 
allowance carefully to see that the desired com¬ 
bination of words and type size is possible. If 
not, then he must change the volume of copy, 
the size of the type or the size of the space. 
Which he will do depends on the circumstances 
of each case. He should simply do what seems 
best to secure a nice balance between attractive 
display, effective copy and reasonable cost. 

USING CUTS PROPERLY 
ENGRAVING THE ILLUSTRATION 

Just as the written word has to be transformed 
into type, so the drawing or photograph used to 









82 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


illustrate the advertisement has to be made 
ready for printed reproduction. The design or 
picture has to be engraved or cut into printing 
plate. From this fact arises the term “cut” for 
such a plate. 

The two forms of cuts with which the shoe 
advertiser deals in the main are zinc etchings 
and half-tones. Occasionally he has to know 
also about wood cuts, electrotypes and stereo¬ 
types. It is not vital that he know every de¬ 
tail in the process of preparing these cuts, but 
he ought to understand what are their distin¬ 
guishing characteristics and their peculiar uses. 

ZINC ETCHING 

A zinc etching is an engraving made from a 
pen, crayon or charcoal drawing or print which 
shows well-defined lines, dots or masses of solid 
dark color. From the fact that it most fre¬ 
quently shows lines, it is commonly called a “line 
cut.” 

For a zinc etching the drawing is photo¬ 
graphed, and the image is then transferred from 
the film to the sensitized top of a zinc plate. The 
image sections of the plate and its back are then 
chemically treated so that acid will not affect 
them, and the plate is placed in a bath which 
“bites” or eats away the unprotected portions. 
The treating and biting work is repeated in small 
doses so that the acid will not have a chance to 
eat under the design. After the etching is fin- 


OUTLINING THE DISPLAY 


83 



FIGURE 29 

Varieties of Zinc Etchings 





84 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


ished, the plate is trimmed and mounted on wood 
or metal. 

This process gives a bold-relief cut which 
makes a solid black impression where any line 
or dot was present in black or dark color in the 
original drawing, and leaves white space where 
there was white or a light color in the 
original. Figure 29 gives several specimens of 
zinc etchings. The most common form, (a), is 
simply an outline. The one in (b) shows a solid 
black form outlined in white. The “silhouette” 
or shadow form in (c) is sometimes useful for 
varying the appearance of a figure. The other 
two indicate what can be done with fine lines ( d) 
and dots ( e ). The dots in (e) are not produced 
by hand but are secured by use of a “Ben Day” 
screen. Such a screen, showing some combina¬ 
tion of straight and curved lines or dots in raised 
design, is inked and pressed on the sensitized 
zinc after the illustration has been transferred 
to it, the portions not to be Ben Day’ed being 
protected by a chemical coating. The Ben Day 
shading is uniform; a varied shading can be ob¬ 
tained by “stippling,” or placing dots by hand 
close together for heavy shadows and farther 
apart for high-lights. 

HALF-TONES 

The process of making a half-tone is a photo¬ 
graphic and chemical one differing little from 
that of making a zinc etching, except that the 


(a) 65-Line Screen, Square Background 




(c) 133-Line Screen, Vignette 
FIGURE 30 

Varieties of Half-Tone Screens and Finishes 





























































wm >. ■ ' - 




























* 












* 








OUTLINING THE DISPLAY 87 

copy is photographed through a screen. The 
screen consists of two clear plates of glass, one 
ruled horizontally and one vertically, joined with 
the lines at right angles. The lines vary from 50 
to 200 to the inch, and give accordingly from a 
coarse screen (on zinc) to a fine screen (on 
copper). 

The lines in the screen are opaque; the 
squares, transparent. The light filters through 
between the lines and registers on the negative 
in the form of dots. When the plate is etched 
these dots constitute the printing surface. All 
intermediate shades between white and black, 
or the “half tones,” are retained from the orig¬ 
inal. The light portions of this are represented 
in the cut by small dots widely spaced, and the 
darker shades by larger dots closer together. 
Pure white in the original appears as light gray, 
and black as an almost solid black gray. These 
absolute colors can be obtained in a half-tone 
only by “tooling” or cutting.out for white and 
by “burnishing” or polishing down for black. 

The enormous number of dots, over 22,000 
to a square inch in a 150 screen cut, in a half¬ 
tone engraving are so small as hardly to be dis¬ 
tinguishable by the naked eye. The general ef¬ 
fect is photographic. 

The chief difference between the zinc etching 
and the half-tone is that the zinc cut can be pro¬ 
duced only from a drawing or print where whites 
and blacks are distinct, whereas the half-tone 


88 FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

can be made directly from the original object 
or from photographs or wash drawings showing 
all gradations in shading between white and 
black. Figure 30 shows half-tones taken di¬ 
rectly from a photograph with (a) 65-line, ( b ) 
100-line and ( c ) 133-line screens. On smooth 
paper, the finer the screen, the more natural the 
reproduction. Figure 30 also shows three 
methods of finishing a half-tone: (a) square 
without rule (a border rule may be used); ( b ) 

outline (background cut off), and ( c) vignette 
(fading away at edge). 

COMPARATIVE VALUES 

In choosing between zinc etchings and half¬ 
tones the shoe advertiser must take into con¬ 
sideration several points. The half-tone gives 
a more realistic reproduction of stock; with it 
the dealer can practically place his merchandise 
before the eyes of the prospective buyer. But 
a half-tone costs fifty per cent more than a line- 
cut. Furthermore, the half-tone, in spite of its 
fine detail, may not show up as well in certain 
cases as the less expensive line cut. The paper 
on which a cut is to be used is a very important 
factor. 

Line cuts will reproduce well on rough paper 
provided they do not contain too much detail. 
Fine cuts are more likely to fill up with ink. 
Moreover, rough paper, which is usually softer 
than the smooth, absorbs more ink. Hence a 


OUTLINING THE DISPLAY 89 

very fine line cut on rough paper may make the 
illustration look “smudged.” This is the danger 
with a stippled or Ben Day’ed drawing if it is 
reduced too much in size and printed on soft 
paper. In the main, however, the detail that 
can be put upon a line cut is small com¬ 
pared with the myriad of dots which the screen 
puts upon a half-tone. The finer the screen — 
that is, the more dots — the smoother must be 
the paper to prevent blurring. Likewise, the 
coarser the screen, the rougher the paper that 
can be used without prohibiting a clear im¬ 
pression. 

The gist of the matter is that on the rough 
paper used in newspapers, line cuts of ordinary 
fineness can be used effectively but half-tones 
are worthless unless the screen is opened up to 
at least 85 lines. From 55 to 85 is the usual run 
for screens in newspaper work. In general the 
greatest amount of satisfaction will come from 
using line cuts for newspapers, rough handbills, 
booklet covers, and such like; keeping half-tones 
for booklets and other advertising means where 
glazed paper is used. Line cuts, of course, can 
be used on glazed paper if desired. 

WOOD CUTS, ELECTROTYPES AND 

STEREOTYPES 

Wood cuts are engravings made by hand on 
wood. They were much used before process en¬ 
graving on zinc and copper was developed, but 


90 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


on the present basis they require too much time 
in preparation and cost too much to be of in¬ 
terest to the average shoe advertiser. 

An electrotype is a duplicate of an original 
cut — half-tone, line cut or wood cut — made 
by electrical process from a wax mold. A shoe 
advertiser may receive electrotypes from manu¬ 
facturers, for they are much less costly to dis¬ 
tribute than original cuts. Unless the adver¬ 
tiser is using several newspapers at the same 
time he will have little need to make electro¬ 
types for himself, except possibly to save wear 
on an expensive name plate. 

Stereotyping is the making of a duplicate first 
by preparing a wet papier mache mold or matrix, 
drying it, and then running in molten metal; the 
mold being kept cool during this pouring. 
Stereotypes will not give satisfactory reproduc¬ 
tions of half-tones screened finer than 85 lines, 
or of the most detailed line cuts, but otherwise 
they are useful in securing inexpensive duplica¬ 
tion. Stereotyping is used by manufacturers 
who can send just flat matrices to dealers who 
place their advertising with newspapers having 
stereotype foundries, and by newspapers that 
have to transform a flat type page into a curved 
plate for use on a rotary press. Advertisers in 
papers with rotary presses should remember that 
every cut must be stereotyped, and that the 
process works best with the more open and more 
deeply engraved cuts. 


OUTLINING THE DISPLAY 


9i 


STOCK AND MANUFACTURERS’ CUTS 

“Syndicate” or stock cuts are made up in 
quantity for various retail trades, and from the 
catalog of some engraving house the shoe adver¬ 
tiser can frequently select some useful material. 
He should never buy stock cuts, however, unless 
they pertain directly to shoe merchandising. 
The most useful design is the small outline draw¬ 
ing of shoes. Where the shoe being advertised 
does not possess sufficient individuality to war¬ 
rant a special drawing, a stock cut can often be 
used. This serves simply as an identification 
of the advertisement to the reader and is not 
studied by him pending his decision to purchase. 

If advertising service is furnished by the shoe 
manufacturers, however, it is preferable. No 
matter how clever an engraving house may be 
in devising illustrations that will serve a whole 
industry, it is more than probable that shoe man¬ 
ufacturers will be more clever. They know the 
goods better. Hence when a shoe manufacturer 
furnishes cuts (or even complete advertise¬ 
ments) in electrotype or matrix form of a size 
suitable for local papers, the advertiser will often 
find the material most useful for featuring the 
goods and toning up the local advertising. 

AVOIDING FINAL ERRORS 
THE LAST CHANCE 

When the printer has set up the copy and ar¬ 
ranged it according to the layout, he sends to 


92 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


the advertiser a “rough proof,” containing an 
impression of the set-up and having a wide mar¬ 
gin for corrections. 

This proof the advertiser should scrutinize for 
errors. He should have some one “hold copy” 
— that is, take the original copy and watch it 
while he reads from the proof — or he should 
himself carefully compare the proof with the 


Space between words 

a 

Indent line 

Space between lines 

X 

Broken letter 

*' ff'rongfont ’ * or Find of f 

type 

0 

Period 

M Lower case ” oY small M 

letters 

= 

Straighten horizon tally 

Capital letters 

11 

Straighten Vertically 

Italic letters 

C 

Comma 

Transpose 

Hyphen 

Small capitals ^ 

»»i» 

Let stay 

Space between letters or .. 

words # 

0 

Spell out 

Close up ' 1 

b 

Take out 

Push down 1/^ 

ir 

Paragraph 

One line,italics; two, small 

Turn inverted letter ^ 


caps’ three capitals 


FIGURE 31 

Common Proof-Reading Marks 


original. Where he finds a discrepancy, he 
should make any change that is necessary. After 
the examination of the wording, the advertiser 
should note whether or not the printer has fol¬ 
lowed directions as to type, cuts, margins, 


OUTLINING THE DISPLAY 


93 


border, indentions, etc., again indicating any- 
desired corrections. 

The advertiser can handle proof-reading more 
easily and indicate his wishes more intelligibly 
to the printer if he knows the conventional 
marks for corrections. Some of this “short¬ 
hand” is reproduced in Figure 31, and the way 
the marks are used in the margin and in the text 
is illustrated in Figure 32. 

When all the corrections have been made, the 
advertiser should mark the proof “O. K. as cor¬ 
rected,” sign his initial or name, and return it. 
If the proof is especially “foul,” he may ask for 
a “revised proof.” This he should examine to 
see whether or not all the corrections have been 
made. In the rush of daily newspaper work, 
however, it is often difficult to secure a “revise” 
unless the first proof is returned the day before 
publication. 

The general rule in regard to payment for 
corrections is that the printer stands the expense 
for his own errors in composition and display, 
but that the advertiser must settle for “author’s 
changes.” Corrections made necessary by the 
negligence or ignorance of the printer are prop¬ 
erly at his expense. But changes that the ad¬ 
vertiser arbitrarily makes from the original copy 
are properly an expense of the store. This em¬ 
phasizes the economic advisability of having 
copy and layout as nearly right as possible in 
the first place. Where the advertiser does have 


94 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


to make changes, he should do so in a way to 
cause the minimum of resetting. If he has to 
cut out or add a word in the body, for instance, 


4 

* ii 


In Lesson(?^immediateIy preceding A we / 
presented the essential facts of the historyV/fc, , 
and position of shoe machinery. No attempt - ^^’ 
was there m*de to describe in detail the op¬ 
eration of shoe machi nery. We simply led 
up to the application - here]asfmade in the^^^ 
present lesson. The working of the ma¬ 
chinery is really a description of shoemaking. 

In this L ESSON we again take the. stand 
that too much of technical informatpn will • 
be confusing to the retail salesman and of no 
& benefit to him A We therefore eliminate all 
j but essential facts A ancjpresent the subject & 

* stripped of foggy verbiage. It is suggested 
that added interest will be given the study 
.of this lesson if the ambitious student will yc, 

** take workout shoes of the different kinds 
of shoemaking and dissect these for a first¬ 
hand observation of the facts here described. 

It is urged that all students of the Course 
grasp the first opportunity to visit shoe fac¬ 
tories and witness all the operations involved 
in^i^producing^footwear.^^^JJJJJJJJJJJJJ 
We will be g^ad at any time that retail shoe 
salesmen visit Boston or where we have 
branctj offices to arrange for a careful in¬ 
spection of shoemaking in representative fac¬ 
tories. We invite retail salesmen to make - 


A&ti* 

Hr 

2 > 


*/ 


o x 


FIGURE 32 

Errors Marked for Correction 


he should try to make an opposite change so as 
to avoid the resetting of more than one line. A 





OUTLINING THE DISPLAY 95 

little ingenuity in the choice of words keeps the 
cost down. 

SUCCESS DEMANDS CARE 

Surely all that has been said up to this point 
indicates that advertising requires careful atten¬ 
tion if it is to be successful. The advertiser who 
forgets about his copy until the newspaper calls 
for it, who then cocks one eye at the street and 
scribbles off a few words on some wrapping 
paper, who bothers not about display and for¬ 
gets there is such a thing as proof — his adver¬ 
tising is likely to be a waste of money. Adver¬ 
tising, from the analysis of selling points to the 
correction of proof, demands care in thought and 
execution. 


CHAPTER V 
ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 
MEDIUMS AVAILABLE 

The newspaper, as has already been said in 
an earlier chapter, provides the main means of 
footwear advertising. Note the italics — the 
main means, not the only one. Other means or 
“mediums” are available for use in special cases. 
In general, shoe advertising mediums include 
these four divisions: 

1. Newspapers 

2. Store papers 

3. Street car cards and outdoor displays 

4. Circular material 

The advertiser needs to be fully acquainted 
with all these varieties in order that he may be 
able to make the best choice. 

NEWSPAPERS 

REASONS FOR VALUE 

The newspaper appeals to man’s everlasting 
love of news. Even an advertisement that is 
short of news value of its own profits from being 
in a newsy “do-it-now” atmosphere. The news- 

96 


ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 9? 

paper generally concentrates the advertising ap¬ 
peal to the retailer’s district. It carries the 
appeal most quickly everywhere in that district 
— on the street, in the office and in the home. 
Because of its frequent publication, it enables 
the retailer to secure a high degree of timeliness 
in his advertising, and also to develop a momen¬ 
tum that makes for good-will and sales. For 
these reasons the newspaper should be the first 
choice and the most used medium for shoe store 
advertising. 

BUYING NEWSPAPER SPACE 

In the small towns with only one newspaper 
to use, the buying of space is relatively simple. 
In the cities with competing papers, the adver¬ 
tising value of each one must be carefully 
weighed. 

Total cost is not the major consideration; 
what counts is cost per reader. Inexperienced 
advertisers frequently err in selecting a news¬ 
paper because of a low rate, when a paper with 
twice the rate may have three or four times as 
many readers, thus giving a much lower cost per 
reader. It is nearly always true that the papers 
with the larger circulations sell their space at 
a lower unit rate. 

But other factors may require consideration 
in individual cases. Thus, if the shoe advertiser 
uses enough space in one paper he may be able 
to secure a reduced rate. On the other hand, a 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


98 

strong showing in one paper is better than a 
weak showing in several. Yet there may be more 
than one valuable medium in the local news¬ 
paper field, of such sorts that their circulations 
are attractive and still offer little duplication. 
If the advertiser cannot afford to use both at 
the same time, he may find it desirable to use 
them alternately, thus perhaps sacrificing a price 
discount for a wider appeal of his message. 

NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING TERMS 

The more important advertising terms used 
by newspapers are these: 

Flat Rate: This rate runs regardless of the size of the 
advertisement or the number to be published. 

Term Rate: This rate decreases as the number of regu¬ 
lar advertisements increases. 

Contract Space Rate: This rate decreases as the total 
amount of space used during a period (usually a year) 
increases. 

Line Rate: This is the rate charged for each agate line 
(14 to the inch) in each column. A few newspapers use 
a nonpareil line (12 to the inch). 

Inch Rate: The inch rate, often used instead of the line 
rate, is the charge for a space one inch deep and one 
column wide. 

Special Position: This is any position specified in an 
advertising contract, such as “first page,” “full position,” 
etc. 

Siding Position: An advertisement in this position is 
next to reading matter. The contract may fix an extra 
charge of ten per cent to twenty^five per cent for this 
position. 


ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 


99 


Full Position: An advertisement alongside of reading 
matter and above reading matter, or below it, if no other 
advertisement is in the column, is in “full position.” 
Such position secured by chance involves no extra charge; 
but if it is specified in the contract, a charge of twenty 
per cent to fifty per cent is usually added. 

Run of Paper: When the contract specifies “run of 
paper,” the publisher may place the advertisement in any 
position on any page. 

Breaking Column Rules: Newspapers often make an 
additional charge or fix a minimum space for advertise¬ 
ments that extend across more than one column, so that 
a small shallow advertisement will not overshadow a 
large, narrower one. 

Short Rate: When an advertiser uses less space than his 
contract calls for, the newspaper charges him according 
to the rate (in effect at the signing of the contract) for 
the space actually used. 

CONTRACT IS DESIRABLE 

By contracting for a certain amount of space 
daily or every other day or twice a week, etc., 
for a year, an advertiser can generally secure a 
substantial “term” discount. Some advertisers, 
like banks and laundries, can do this satisfac¬ 
torily; but the shoe dealer, if he can meet the 
minimum space requirement, should make his 
contract upon a “space” basis — so many lines 
or inches for the year, to be used whenever he 
sees fit. The more lines he contracts for, the 
less the rate per line. Instead of going along 
from week to week and paying a high rate for 
single advertisements, therefore, the retailer can 


100 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


save money by arranging for the total space in 
advance, and at the same time be free to gauge 
the size of individual advertisements according 
to weather conditions, current events, state of 
the trade, condition of the stock and such similar 
events. 

Many small newspapers do not do business 
on a long-term basis, and some large ones are 
trying to adopt a flat rate basis. If a space dis¬ 
count is available, however, the advertiser 
should make the most of it. All that is necessary 
is a simple order for the desired amount of space, 
at the stipulated rate, with directions and 
charges regarding position, with terms of pay¬ 
ment and with a provision for rebate in case 
enough extra space is used to secure a lower 
rate. 

LIMITATION OF NEWSPAPER 

Generally useful as the newspaper is, it may 
fail to suit the conditions of two sorts of re¬ 
tailers. One, obviously, is the retailer in the 
small town where no local newspaper exists. 
Various out-of-town newspapers may come in, 
from near or distant places, but the retailer can 
not afford to pay for so much waste circulation. 
In an exactly similar position is the other type. 
He is the small retailer who is located not in the 
general business district of a city but in one of 
the outlying shopping centers. His customers 


ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 


IOI 


live in near-by blocks, not throughout the whole 
city. Consequently he, too, finds that the city 
newspaper scatters his fire too much. In this 
instance there is sometimes a community weekly 
or semi-weekly that circulates just among the 
residents of his own district. As a rule, how¬ 
ever, the distinctly local dealer in the large city 
and the dealer in a town without a local news¬ 
paper are confronted with the same need of find¬ 
ing a medium that reaches their own trade. 

Various mediums like church and lodge 
papers, “movie” slides, school and theatre pro¬ 
grams, directories, telephone books, and such 
like, do not satisfy the need. Advertisements 
in such mediums invariably have some funda¬ 
mental weakness. Slides and programs present 
advertising at a time when people are out for 
pleasure and are least receptive to buying ap¬ 
peals. Directories and institutional papers usu¬ 
ally charge out of all proportion to the number 
of the retailers’ customers reached, and their is¬ 
suance tends to show irregularity. The taking 
of space in such mediums often seems necessary 
to retain the seller’s good-will, but the payment 
is for benevolence or limited publicity rather 
than for real selling appeal. 

How, then, can the need be satisfied. The 
store paper is the answer. If a proper news¬ 
paper is not available, the retailer can get out 
a small one of his own or in cooperation with 
other local merchants 


102 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


STORE PAPERS 

PRESERVING THE NEWSPAPER FICTION 

The most effective store paper is that which 
keeps up the fiction of newspaper practice and 
style. Uniform size, frequent and regular is¬ 
suance, newspaper arrangement and live news 
— all these are essential. 

A store paper should keep to the same size for 
all its issues, but that size is a matter of local de¬ 
termination. The most specific rules are these: 
the larger the locality, the smaller the paper; 
and the longer the interval between issues, the 
larger the paper. The smallest size worth while 
is four pages, 6x9 inches; this can be increased 
to more pages or to a larger page as required. 
The advertiser should get estimates of cost from 
as many printers as possible before finally de¬ 
ciding upon any size. 

The retailer can hardly issue a store paper 
more frequently than once a week. He can not 
afford to issue it less often than once a month, 
for it then would have little, if any, news value 
and would probably be forgotten between dates. 
Whatever frequency of issue is chosen should 
be adhered to regularly. The paper need not 
bear a publication date but it should have a vol¬ 
ume number and an issue number, and should 
always appear at the same time. 

A factor that may have a decided bearing 


ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 


103 


upon the date of issuance is the state of the 
pocketbook of the customers. A dealer in a fac¬ 
tory town secures a much better response if his 



paper appears on pay days, and in the cities an 
appeal on Friday or Saturday morning is more 











104 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


opportune than one on Tuesday or Wednesday. 
The best time for a store paper is when the cus¬ 
tomers have the most cash burning their pockets. 

To preserve the newspaper arrangement, the 
title — some catchy designation unmistakably 
tied up with the store — should be printed in 
large type at the top of the first page, and in 
small type at the top of each following page. 
The advertisements should be scattered through 
the paper; occasionally they may be used ad¬ 
vantageously to make up an entire page, but 
most often they should be used beside the read¬ 
ing matter. Figure 33 illustrates some of these 
points. 

The merchant must never forget that he is 
running a newspaper, that is, furnishing news. 
Store news and store advertisements will prob¬ 
ably take up most of the paper, but at least one- 
third of the space should be given over to read¬ 
ing matter of general interest. This may be 
prepared from clippings or from business and 
social events in the locality. Anecdotes, stories 
and poetry by local talent and news curiosities 
are very useful as “fillers.” 

MAKING UP THE PAPER 

The make-up of a store paper is simple. The 
best procedure is to clip or write up the genera 1 
news, and prepare the store news and the store 
advertisements. With the printer’s assistance 
and after one issue the advertiser can readily 


ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 105 

judge how much material of each sort is re¬ 
quired. 

When the advertiser has proof of all the 
matter he should take a blank “dummy” of the 
same size as the paper or else an old copy of the 
paper, and lay out on this the advertisements to 
be used, exercising due care to leave room for 
one or two columns of reading matter alongside 
of the advertisements. The other material can 
then be pasted on the dummy in sufficient quan¬ 
tity to fill. Each piece should be marked with 
a red or blue pencil to show the number of the 
proof from which it was taken, so that the 
printer can easily locate each item when he be¬ 
gins to assemble the pages. 

DIRECT APPROACH 

The store paper is an excellent means of en¬ 
tertaining the reader and at the same time secur¬ 
ing publicity and presenting selling talks. The 
advertiser has plenty of space for telling his 
story, and his message is not competing with 
many others before the reader’s eye. In all these 
ways the approach of the store paper has a com¬ 
mendable directness. 

Another aspect of this is that the dealer can 
control the circulation. This raises the question 
of distribution. Store papers can be given out 
at the store and distributed by hand through the 
neighborhood served. Or, if the dealer has a 
good list of present and prospective customers, 


106 FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

as he should, he can send the papers by mail. 
Postage insures safe and prompt delivery, where¬ 
as hand distribution, unless strictly supervised, 
leads to too many gutter and alley losses. More¬ 
over, in some cities house-to-house distribution 
is prohibited by ordinance. 

In most cases the store newspaper is a substi¬ 
tute for the newspaper, but sometimes it is used 
to supplement the newspaper. A chain of stores 
in a city may be able to make effective, use of 
one paper for all to supplement its general news¬ 
paper advertising. Whenever any group of 
stores or any one store thus uses a store paper, 
however, this medium serves to consolidate vari¬ 
ous forms of circular material. This function 
of the store paper will be discussed in the chapter 
following. 

STREET CAR CARDS AND OUTDOOR DISPLAYS 
CAR CARDS 

The street car is primarily a medium for large 
cities and thickly populated districts. The 
average number of passengers carried by street 
cars each day is more than half the population 
of the area served. This fact gives advertising 
value to the familiar row of n x 21 inch 
spaces around the top of the cars inside. The 
cards in these spaces are seen because the pas¬ 
sengers cannot help but look at what is before 
them, or because their eyes are roving around to 


ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 107 

find relief from the monotony of the ride. By 
the repeated trips during a month, the usual run 
for one piece of copy, the cards are impressed 
indelibly upon the minds of the readers. More¬ 
over, being uniform in size, they give each ad¬ 
vertiser freedom from space domination. 

This very uniformity in size, however, makes 
display even more important. Large type, run¬ 
ning from 6o-point down to 30-point, must be 
used to secure instant legibility. A colored il¬ 
lustration may be added to increase the atten¬ 
tion value; the possibilities in this respect are 
limited only by the ingenuity of the artist and 
the cost of production. Color is usually advis¬ 
able, for the reason that other advertisers who 
employ car cards extensively for name and good¬ 
will publicity, produce very decorative cards. 
The retailer can not afford to look like a poor 
relation. 

But large type and an illustration eat up 
rapidly the amount of space allotted so that from 
thirty to fifty words are all that can ordinarily 
be used. This fact limits car-card copy to name 
publicity, a terse announcement of some store 
policy or a very brief selling talk. Furthermore, 
since the cards usually are changed only once a 
month, any selling talk should deal with some 
general line that is sure to be in stock. 

The large retailer in the central business dis¬ 
trict of a large city (like Fyfe’s in Detroit, see 
Figure 34) can afford to get up attractive car 


log FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

display to keep the name before the public and 
to educate it regarding some general phases of 
the store service or stock. Even the outlying re¬ 
tailer may be able to use some of such advertis¬ 
ing, if half-city service (the smallest amount 
sold) does not involve too much waste circula¬ 
tion. For the most part, however, the small re¬ 
tailer does not find it feasible to use car cards 
unless perchance he receives some from manu¬ 
facturers to show his agency. The cost of using 



FIGURE 34 
Example of Car Card 


car cards is a few cents per day per thousand 
riders. This gives from $.70 to $1.50 per car 
per month, depending on the size of the town. 

OUTDOOR DISPLAYS 

Outdoor advertising is accomplished through 
the use of posters, painted signs, electric signs, 



ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 


109 


etc., located along the paths of the public. The 
requirements of effective display in these 
mediums are the same as for car cards, but there 
is even a greater need for brevity. It is not a 
matter of fixed size but one of copy suited to 
rapid passers-by. Outside copy really must be 
suited to the man who runs. The message must 
be short, the display large, so that the reader 
can instantly comprehend the meaning at from 
twenty-five feet to one hundred feet. Outdoor 
advertising clearly is not for detailed selling 
points. It can, however, be used to secure name 
publicity, to put across a store slogan or policy, 
to hammer on one selling point, to popularize a 
certain make of goods — all to the end of se¬ 
curing greater publicity for one idea during a 
period from a month to a year or more. 

Outdoor advertising is mainly for the use of 
national advertisers, but the shoe retailer can 
use it to some extent. An electric display at 
some prominent point; posters on street bill¬ 
boards in the store’s territory, and in elevated 
and subway stations; painted wall signs in 
prominent positions — these serve as reminders 
of the city retailer’s stock and service. The 
small-town retailer is not justified in buying 
special lithographed posters, but he can use 
manufacturers’ posters and perhaps a few type 
posters of his own. If he draws out-of-town 
trade he will find the most profitable outdoor 
display to be in the form of the more durable 


no 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


metallic, wooden or waterproof signs located on 
the main thoroughfares into the town. 

At the very best, however, outdoor displays 
and car cards are of limited use to the shoe re¬ 
tailer. They supplement newspaper and store 
advertising, but serve mainly as a means of 
general publicity. If the retailer needs to sup¬ 
plement the up-to-the minute, direct selling 
effort of the newspaper or store paper he should 
turn to circular material. This subject is treated 
in the next following chapter. 


CHAPTER VI 

ADVERTISING MEDIUMS ( Continued) 

CIRCULAR MATERIAL 
TWO MAIN GROUPS 

Circular material is a broad term. Back of 
it, however, are two definite ideas that will serve 
to make its meaning clear. In the first place, 
circular material is matter that is by mail or by 
hand delivered to selected individuals, either 
present or prospective customers. In the second 
place, each delivery is uniform; what one recip¬ 
ient gets, all the others get. Between newspaper 
advertisements, uniform but not delivered to 
selected individuals, and personal letters, indi¬ 
vidually mailed but not uniform, there lie vari¬ 
ous mediums that confine uniformity and indi¬ 
vidual delivery to selected readers. The lines 
of demarcation between such circular mediums 
are not exact; some advertisers even call the 
same one by different names. The following dis¬ 
cussion, however, will serve to indicate the gen¬ 
eral types. 

CIRCULAR LETTERS 

The most intimate form of circular matter is a 
mimeographed or multigraphed letter sent out 
to all on the store’s mailing list. This is the so- 


iix 


112 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


called “form letter,” with either a facsimile or 
a handwritten signature. Each customer’s name 
and address may be filled in by means of a type¬ 
writer, but the color of ink should be carefully 
matched. 

The advantage of the form letter lies in its 
distinctively personal touch. It can be effec¬ 
tively used in making special announcements of 
changes in store policy, unusual sales offerings 
that the store wants old customers to be sure to 
know about, and so on. An extensive use of 
form letters, however, is restricted. If such a 
letter runs more than a page long, and if more 
than three hundred copies are to be sent out, it 
may look better and cost less to have a leaflet or 
folder printed. On the other hand, if the mes¬ 
sage is short, a mailing card may suffice. 

BOOKLETS, LEAFLETS AND FOLDERS 

The difference between booklets, leaflets and 
folders is merely one of pages and binding. The 
booklet usually has eight, twelve or sixteen 
pages and a special cover, tied or stapled on. 
The leaflet has merely four pages — that is, it is 
a single sheet folded once. The folder is a single 
sheet folded twice or more so as to give six or 
more pages, without binding or cutting of leaves. 
All three forms should be small. One that fits 
into an ordinary-sized pocket or goes into a No. 
6f or 7 envelope — that is, 3^ or 33/8x6 
or 6^ inches — is a convenient size. 


ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 


113 

The booklet is the aristocrat of the circular 
family. All that is said here concerning the 
booklet, however, applies also to pamphlets of 
smaller size. The booklet needs a rich quality 
of paper, an attractive cover, finely detailed il¬ 
lustrations inside and very artistic typographical 
display. An illustration on the cover helps, but 
attractive effects with type can be obtained by 
competent compositors. The booklet affords a 
fine opportunity for special color work; a two- 
color cover and a colored border for the pages 
make a pleasing combination. The principles 
that should guide one in combining colors will 
be discussed in connection with window display. 

In regard to the paper to be used the adver¬ 
tiser should consult with the printer. Ordinary 
paper comes in two great classes: antique , or 
rough, for use in newspapers and most books; 
and coated , or glazed, for use with fine cuts. 
Then there is also cover stock, usually a heavier 
woven paper made to stand wear and tear. Each 
group has varying grades, differing in weight. 
The weight is expressed in terms of the number 
of pounds per ream (500 sheets). The sheets 
vary in size, so as to permit cutting into different 
sized pages with the minimum of waste. Thus, 
if the advertiser wants a good coated stock for 
use with half-tones, he may get an “8o-pound, 
25 x 38 inch” paper; or if he wants an antique 
stock for a leaflet with no cuts, he may get a 
60 or 70-pound paper. The advertiser should 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


114 

consider this matter fully with the printer, so as 
to secure a suitable weight that will not be too 
expensive. 

The cost of booklets varies with the number 
of lines of type set up, the cost of illustrations, 
the cost of paper and the number of copies run 
on the press. The first two items are the main 
ones. After a booklet has been set up, it does 
not take much longer to run off five hundred 
copies than one hundred, and the additional 
paper cost is comparatively small. If the adver¬ 
tiser is planning, therefore, to send out booklets 
to a small list and finds on getting an estimate 
of cost, which he should always ask for, that 
the unit cost will be very high, it may pay him 
to extend his mailing list. 

A booklet may be issued at any time, provided 
its subject matter is seasonable. A spring book¬ 
let; a fall booklet; one on infants’ shoes, one 
on sport, dress or comfort shoes; one on rubber 
goods; one for Christmas trading; one on gen¬ 
eral store service or policies — the advertiser 
can readily find material. The booklet should 
not try to sell just one style, or to give just a 
list of all styles. It has several pages in which 
it can present an entertaining introduction and 
then give the selling points of the store’s service, 
or of stock in different departments, or of typical 
styles in one department. It should treat each 
shoe in detail, without technical wording, from 
the point of view of the buying motives con- 


ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 115 

cerned. The more the medium tends toward the 
leaflet type, therefore, the less the number of 
models that can be adequately handled. 

The three leaflets in Figure 35 were prepared 
by the National Shoe Retailers’ Association. 



figure 35 

Leaflets Prepared by N.S.R.A. 

They form part of a yearly service that can be 
purchased by members of the association. 

The extra work involved in the preparation of 
such mediums warrants special care in the dis¬ 
tribution. Most authorities seriously doubt the 
advisability of having boys leave booklets or 








n6 FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

other forms of pamphlets behind doors or stuff 
them in mail boxes. They feel that the lack of 
addressing belies the worth of the mediums. 
Consequently, they favor mailing. In this con¬ 
nection it should be noted that a store with credit 
customers can very often send out leaflets or 
folders with monthly statements without any 
extra postage. 

MAILING FOLDERS AND CARDS 

Booklets, leaflets and folders are made to be 
sent out in envelopes. There are other mediums 
somewhat similar in make-up but mailable 
without a cover. These are the mailing folder 
and the mailing card. 

The mailing folder in general consists of a 
single or double sheet, folded so that on the out¬ 
side there appears only the address and some 
catch word or design to induce the reader to open 
up the folder. A clip, seal or slot is used to hold 
the folder together. One advantage of this form 
is its preparation without reference to any. en¬ 
velope. It can easily be adjusted in size to ac¬ 
commodate any special cut or type arrangement. 
Then, too, its larger page size (full length when 
opened) permits of a more free handling of dis¬ 
play units than in the booklet type. Otherwise 
its preparation corresponds to that indicated for 
the booklet. 

For an important but short message requiring 


ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 117 

only one page, the mailing card is useful. Such 
a card is any one of sufficiently strong paper or 
cardboard stock to permit of its being handled 
in the mail without becoming mutilated. If it 
is of the private post-card type, it must not be 
larger than 39/16x59/16 inches or smaller 
than 2| x 4 inches. The mailing card may be 
used to carry a brief announcement, a seasonal 
reminder or a single selling point with only a 
few supporting details. 

For the foregoing circular mediums from 
booklets to mailing cards, the advertiser must 
prepare forceful headline and body copy, study 
the display and make a layout just as in the case 
of newspaper advertisements. In this work he 
can get valuable ideas from the bulletins and 
helps supplied by manufacturers. Many manu¬ 
facturers have expert departments for preparing 
appeals to the ultimate consumer; and material 
from them will serve not only for distribution 
under the store’s imprint but for use as guides 
in preparing the store’s own circular mediums. 

BROADSIDES OR HANDBILLS 

The broadside, handbill, “circular” or 
“dodger” — however it may be called — is a 
sheet printed on one side. It may be small or 
large, according to the copy, though probably 
some size like 6x9 inches or 7 x 10 is most often 
suitable. Furthermore, the broadside is rela- 


n8 FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

tively unpretentious; its attire should be neat 
but not necessarily rich-looking like the book¬ 
let. 

These characteristics are brought about by 
two causes. In the first place, the broadside is 
used for an announcement of transitory value. 
It is intended to create immediate demand be¬ 
cause of an unusual offer, and it is usually pre¬ 
pared in a rush. The one-sheet, one-side 
printing permits speed. In the second place, 
distribution — by hand from house to house — 
involves too much waste for expensive paper and 
display. 

There should, however, be no carelessness or 
slovenliness in copy or display. The broadside 
needs a readable type, forceful copy and clear- 
cut display, the end in view being the plain, 
legible presentation of an obviously attractive 
offer. The broadside generally should have a 
large-type display line at the top, with a five or 
six line snappy opening talk set in not less than 
12-point. The remainder of the text should be 
split up into easily readable units. Any con¬ 
fusion among items is bound to annoy the reader. 

CONSOLIDATED IN STORE PAPER 

In the preceding chapter it was stated that 
when a store paper is used together with news¬ 
papers, the former medium serves to consolidate 
various forms of circular material. It will be 


ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 


119 

readily understood why this is so. With the 
opportunity for a direct message to the present 
and prospective customers through an editorial 
in the store paper, the form letter is not often 
needed. With the opportunity to give a full de¬ 
scription of goods in the paper, booklets may not 
be required. And so it goes. The store paper 
does not rank so high in special art work as the 
combined circular mediums, but it tends to cover 
the same topics. Moreover, because of its direct 
delivery to selected individuals, the store paper 
itself may be called a circular medium. When 
it is used, therefore, the need for other forms 
of circular matter like booklets does not often 
arise. 

PACKAGE INSERTS 

The circular mediums thus far discussed are 
for distribution outside the store. Besides these 
there is one worth mentioning which is used in¬ 
side the store. This is the package insert — usu¬ 
ally a small leaflet — enclosed with shoes or find¬ 
ings when packages are wrapped for carriage or 
delivery. 

The package insert can fittingly be used as a 
reminder that the store has other goods than 
those purchased, or that some service is of ex¬ 
traordinary value. Thus, there might be inserts 
for hosiery, sport shoes, the repair department. 
If the store has a clear-cut guarantee of satis- 


120 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


faction or money back, this is a most suitable 
subject. At the very moment when the customer 
is examining his purchase, he has impressed 
upon his mind the sincerity of the store’s interest 
in him. 

A noteworthy example of how the package in¬ 
sert can be used effectively is given in Figure 36, 
which shows the inside pages of the leaflet. The 
front page, below the Regal trade mark, contains 
the title “Your Regal Mileage,” and the two in- 


REGAL SHOES 


Xl/fi know you will like this 
VV pair of Regal Shoes and that 
they will give you long and faithful 
service. 


C To prove this to your complete 
satisfaction we are furnishing you 
with .this record book in which we 
ask you to keep an accurate account 
of your Regal Mileage. 

CYour correct are is noted on the 
opposite page, and also the name of 
this particular Regal Shoe and the 
salesman who aided you in your 
selection. 

CWe would esteem it a favor on 
your part if you would keep this 
little record book and let the merit 
of Regal'Shoes rest on their actual 
performance. 

FIGURE 36 

Inside of a Package Insert 

side pages amplify the idea of the store’s interest 
in the long and faithful service of the shoes. 
Such a message fosters good-will and holds trade. 
The last page plays up the idea of “the Regal 
way” of re-making shoes to “bring back the orig¬ 
inal style and good appearance,” thus adding a 
positive selling point regarding the repair 
service. 


REGAL SHOES 

Shoe Nam . 

High .. <Low. .. 

Site .....TP<**..«.. 

Color _._.......... 

Date .. 

The Regal Shoe Store 

82s Broad Street 
NEWARK, N. J. 

Salesman .... 












ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 


121 


NOVELTIES 

One more circular device needs to be men¬ 
tioned— novelties, or small gifts to customers 
and prospects. There are hundreds of varieties, 
made of every conceivable material, for man, 
woman or child. In appeal they range from the 
humor of the “mule barometer” with his swing¬ 
ing tail to indicate a windy day, to the mystery 
of the puzzle, or the usefulness of the memoran¬ 
dum book. As a rule each is marked with the 
dealer’s name and perhaps a slogan. 

Novelties do not sell goods directly, but they 
help to create good-will. A few novelties the 
shoe advertiser needs as a matter of course. 
Shoe horns and button hooks he always has with 
him. Calendars, too, he may consider indispen¬ 
sable. As for buying other novelties, he must 
decide for himself on the basis of the store 
pocketbook. If there are a few spare dollars, 
he may go ahead. The novelties will not do any 
harm unless they cause him to forget that shoe 
service and store service are the only lasting 
foundations of good-will. 

This point is important! Let the advertiser 
avoid picking up novelties whenever the fancy 
strikes him; let him once a year make a careful 
choice and send the novelty by mail to a selected 
list at some timely moment — then he will make 
the deepest impression for his money. 


122 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


THE MAILING LIST 

In the mailing list, to which mention has 
several times been made, the advertiser should 
include both customers and prospective cus¬ 
tomers. If the store sells on credit, the names 
of customers are at hand. If it sells for cash, the 
salesman must secure the name and the address 
for the sales slip. The names of prospects can 
be secured by means of personal calls, or through 
the use of directories, tax lists, club and church 
lists, advertising coupons, guessing contests, 
popularity contests. The advertiser who really 
wants names can find them. 

How far the mailing list needs classification 
depends on the store’s trade and upon the va¬ 
riety of circular material mailed. A segregation 
of customers and prospects, of men and women, 
of professional men and workmen, etc., may be 
advisable. For a store paper, or for a general 
booklet on seasonal styles for all wearers, no 
classification is needed, but for special circular 
mediums dealing with individual classes of shoes 
a classified mailing list makes for speed and 
economy in distribution. 

Unless the mailing list is kept up to date, it is 
inefficient. The names and the addresses should 
be carefully revised at least every six months. 
This can be done most easily when the list is 
kept on cards (3 x 5 or 5 x 8). Each card 
should contain one name. On it, if desired, can 


ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 


123 

be entered the date and the kind of each com¬ 
munication sent. 

PLANNING THE CAMPAIGN 
FORESIGHT IS ESSENTIAL 

Advertising cannot accomplish the greatest 
results if it is used in a haphazard, hit-and-miss 
manner. The buying of stock is planned in ad¬ 
vance ; so also should be the selling of it through 
advertising. To the preparation of effective ad¬ 
vertisements, therefore, should be added the per¬ 
fection of a systematic arrangement for their 
use. A definite appropriation and a definite plan 
for spending it are both needed. 

HOW MUCH TO SPEND 

The first point to be decided at the beginning 
of each year is the amount of the advertising ap¬ 
propriation. The prevailing custom is to base 
the appropriation on a percentage of sales. The 
most recent investigation showed that in 1919 
the advertising expense of representative shoe 
stores ranged from 0.03 per cent to 7.85 per cent 
of net sales; most percentages being around 1.3 
per cent. Other investigations at earlier dates 
gave a central figure slightly higher in a buyer’s 
markets. Still other investigations, aimed to 
secure an average percentage based on gross 
sales, have reported 1.65 per cent for small 
stores. Advertising experts, however, urge an 
appropriation of 3 per cent even for such stores. 


124 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


These percentages include the cost of window 
display, but by far the largest part is for adver¬ 
tising by means of the printed word. 

There is no “absolute percentage” that fits 
every type of store, but the rates given above will 
help any advertiser to make a right decision in 
his own case. What he should most guard 
against is a stinting of the appropriation just 
because advertising seems more easily control¬ 
lable than most other operating expenses. Ad¬ 
vertising deserves liberal treatment. If the 
advertiser is going to use manufacturers’ helps, 
these should be considered an addition to his own 
appropriation — not a substitute for it. 

DISTRIBUTION BY MONTHS 

The second point is the advertising distribu¬ 
tion by months. To make every dollar count, 
the advertiser ought to plan in advance how the 
whole sum can best be spread over the twelve 
months. Seldom, however, can any advertising 
plan, no matter how skilfully worked out, be 
strictly followed. The ups and downs generally 
come close to balancing each other, but the pru¬ 
dent advertiser makes some provision for un¬ 
usual demands. Thus he may set aside say ten 
per cent of the appropriation as an emergency 
allowance, and then spread the remainder of 
ninety per cent over the individual months. 

For such a distribution the comparative 
monthly sales record of the last year makes an 


ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 


125 


admirable basis. Since the overhead expenses 
keep on running regardless of any slackening in 
business, it behooves the advertiser not to omit 
any means of increasing trade in the dull periods. 
Instead of using exact percentage based on sales, 
he should take one or two per cent from the per¬ 
centages for the busiest months and add such 
amounts to the percentages for the dull months. 
This small transfer leaves most of the appropri¬ 
ation for the periods of brisk trade but provides 
the needed impetus in times of lagging buyers. 

CHOOSING THE MEDIUMS 

The third point in planning the campaign is 
the division of the appropriation among the 
classes of mediums for retail advertising. No 
general formula for this division can be devised. 
The location of the store, the class of trade, the 
character of newspapers read locally, all serve 
to make the distribution among mediums dis¬ 
tinctly a local problem. 

It is possible, however, to give fairly definite 
suggestions regarding the relative weight of the 
different mediums. The newspaper is the giant 
of shoe retail advertising mediums. A recent 
investigation showed that 90 out of 111 retailers 
spent 50 per cent or more of their appropriations 
for newspaper advertising; and 31, more than 
one fourth of the total, spent 90 per cent or 
more. Next in weight came the circular 
mediums, and smallest were the street car cards 


126 


FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 


and outdoor displays. The store paper, where 
used, assumes some or all of the weight of the 
newspaper or of circular mediums. 

In most cases it is inadvisable to put every 
cent of the appropriation into newspaper ad¬ 
vertising. The best campaign is varied; it gets 
at the buyers in different places, under different 
conditions. It does not forget that simple 
“name” and “policy” publicity is worth some¬ 
thing. It does not neglect occasionally to get 
on personal terms with customers through cir¬ 
cular mediums. The public knows what 
mediums are available for all-around campaigns 
by progressive stores, and it appreciates the shoe 
advertiser who shows that he also knows. 

WATCHING THE CAMPAIGN 

After the advertiser has distributed the ap¬ 
propriation according to months and mediums, 
he should translate the percentages into dollars, 
so that he can easily follow the progress of the 
campaign. For newspaper advertising he should 
figure out the number of lines or inches that the 
appropriation allows him each month, with due 
allowance for the cost of cuts. Then he can 
easily determine how many one-sized advertise¬ 
ments he can run, or else keep track of the space 
as he uses it. 

When it comes actually to spending the 
money month by month, the advertiser should 
always bear in mind that wild “splurges” do not 


ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 127 

bring the most sales. The continued drive, for 
example twice a week with a one-eighth page 
advertisement of a very few styles, is more ef¬ 
fective than one outbreak a month with an ad¬ 
vertisement covering all the styles. Similarly, 
three or four smaller booklets throughout the 
year are better than a single larger, more elab¬ 
orate one. The advertiser must not spread his 
work too thin, of course, but he should always 
have in mind the fact that everlastingly keeping 
at the public, by frequent publication and fol¬ 
low-up, is the secret of big advertising results. 

As for checking immediately the results of 
each bit of advertising, that is something over 
which the advertiser need not lose any sleep. 
The effect of advertising may not be discernible 
at once; it may pull for weeks after its use. 
Moreover, the very nature of retail trade, un¬ 
like mail-order trade, makes an accurate check 
impossible. Now and then a customer may say, 
“I want to see the oxford advertised in this 
morning’s Herald,” but usually all he says is, 
“Please let me see an oxford,” and it is not wise 
for the salesman to ask where he got the idea. 
In the case of a special sale advertisement, the 
direct result may seem apparent, but many 
a customer has resulted from seeing the window 
display or following the crowd. Therefore, un¬ 
less the retail advertiser wishes to offer a coupon 
discount or give a novelty to those who turn in 
an advertisement — a course which is only oc- 


128 FOOTWEAR ADVERTISING 

casionally advisable — he has no chance of 
making an exact check. But he should not 
worry. Tens of thousands of successful shoe 
dealers will applaud the assertion that advertis¬ 
ing pays. 

KEEP ON LEARNING 

Within the limits of these pages it has been 
impossible to discuss every detail connected with 
retail shoe advertising. However, the reader 
has been carried through every principle in¬ 
volved, from the determination of the selling 
points of an individual shoe to the preparation 
of a whole campaign of attractive and effective 
advertising. 

The subject is complex, but it can be summed 
up in a few words. Successful advertising de¬ 
mands : 

1. Right merchandise at right values. 

2. Absolute truth. 

3. An appeal to basic buying motives. 

4. As much news value as possible. 

5. Painstaking attention to both copy and dis- 

play. 

6. Foresight in planning, and persistence in ex¬ 

ecuting. 

Advertising is a subject that is never closed. 
Upon the foundation given here, however, you 
can build an up-to-the-minute working knowl¬ 
edge, first, by getting well grounded in the basic 
principles of the subject, and second, by keeping 


ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 129 

in constant touch with its development as ex¬ 
pressed through the better metropolitan news¬ 
papers, the shoe trade papers and the individual 
advertising efforts of the most representative 
manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. 


STORE DISPLAYS 


CHAPTER VII 
WINDOW DISPLAYS 

BUSINESS-BUILDING VALUE 

A successful Chicago merchant moved his 
store and paid sixteen thousand dollars addi¬ 
tional rent per year for exactly the same amount 
of floor space. But he now has six windows 
instead of two — an added yearly investment of 
four thousand dollars a window. 

In New York there is a retailer who pays 
five thousand dollars a month for a little room 
on Broadway about the size of an ordinary “hen 
house.” On the mere basis of floor space, the 
charge is outrageous, but tens of thousands of 
people pass the little place every day. This 
fact governs its value. 

“Jim,” said the shoe retailer, “where is the 
middle of this store?” “Why,” said Jim, “to 
judge roughly with the eye, it is about at the 
back end of that second fitting section.” “No, 
Jim, you’re wrong,” rejoined the merchant, “the 
middle of the store is up at the back of the 
windows; those windows from a business-build¬ 
ing standpoint, represent half the store.” 

130 


WINDOW DISPLAYS 


131 


FOOTSTEPS MAKE VALUES 

What one great fact are these merchants, 
each in his own way, here stating? Simply that 
the location of a store along the pathway of the 
public is a factor of immense value if properly 
utilized. The amount of selling space back from 
the street is important, of course, in its bear¬ 
ing upon the volume of business that is being 
or can be handled. But fully as important, if 
not more so, is the window space on the street. 
Passing footsteps give position value to this 
space, and it is up to the retailer to have this 
position value transferred into selling value. He 
pays rent for the windows; he should make the 
windows pay the rent. 

Mere location in front of the public, however, 
is not sufficient. A blank wall with a hole for 
a doorway would have position value but no sales 
value. Its uninviting appearance would be 
equivalent to a direct message of “Stay out!” 
But an attractive front, with prettily and cheer¬ 
fully trimmed windows, gives a beaming wel¬ 
come of “Come in.” Unless store windows are 
so used, therefore, that they make the most 
cordial appeal to those with whom their loca¬ 
tion brings them in contact, they fail lamentably 
to do their duty. 

WINDOW CIRCULATION 

And who are those with whom windows come 
in contact? Who constitute window circula- 


132 


STORE DISPLAYS 


tion? Mention will be made here only of the 
two main classes: those who have been prompted 
to action by printed advertising, and those who 
for some reason of business or pleasure are just 
passing the store. They are the intending buyers 
and the casuals . 

The intending buyer has his mind made up, 
wholly or partly, but he can change it quickly 
if he sees anything that does not please him. 
The printed advertisement has aroused desire 
for the goods; but if the window shows dirt, 
raggedness or general repulsiveness, this desire 
can be destroyed in a flash. It is much easier to 
tear down than to build up. Consequently, 
though in the case of intending buyers the win¬ 
dow does not have the primary selling effort to 
make, it has the great responsibility of so back¬ 
ing up this effort as to guide the prospect to the 
fitting space. 

In the case of the casual, the selling responsi¬ 
bility of the window is of the very first im¬ 
portance. It also has a wonderful opportunity. 
The store will often pay large sums for a few 
square inches of newspaper printed matter to be 
sent out in the hope of catching the eye. But in 
the window it has many square feet that it can 
use at less cost to hold the attention of people 
who bring themselves within the range of influ¬ 
ence. Surely the store should not fail to do its 
utmost to make buyers out of casual passers-by 
through demonstrating how its goods by color, 


WINDOW DISPLAYS 


133 


quality and use can satisfy certain buying mo¬ 
tives. Surely the store should on its face so 
sparkle with enthusiasm and cheerfulness, so 
radiate personality and service, that the passer¬ 
by will feel the maximum urgency to stop and 
buy. 

Most people do not pass store windows regu¬ 
larly enough, or frequently enough, to justify 
the store’s expenditure of the entire advertis¬ 
ing effort through the window display. Printed 
advertising is at all times necessary, and it 
should absorb the greater part of the advertising 
appropriation. Advertising through the win¬ 
dows, however, must not be neglected. As an 
insurer of sales to intending buyers, as a maker 
of sales to casuals, it demands the most careful 
attention. 

ERRORS OF THE PAST 

The fact that the real selling value of store 
windows is a comparatively recent discovery 
makes it all the more desirable for retail shoe 
salesmen to study this subject. If they have out- 
of-date ideas in their heads, they should learn 
the true facts and promptly discard the false. 

Only a few years ago shoe window display 
was little more than a means of filling up space. 
The store naturally had some “waste” space 
along the front (waste, because it could not be 
used for fitting shoes!), and the merchant stored 
some of his goods there pending their transfer 


134 


STORE DISPLAYS 


to the shelves for sale. He usually did pick out 
his most attractive shoes, but beyond that he 
treated the window just as a window — a means 
of letting in daylight and allowing people to 
look into the store. 

Gradually, however, it is dawning upon the 
mind of the retail merchant that the function of 
a store window is not to let the passer-by gaze 
through it at the store but into it at the dis¬ 
played goods. The window is not to let in light 
but to draw in dollars. It should help sell goods. 
From these facts the modern retailer has come 
to the obvious conclusion that window display 
does not mean simply strewing a dozen or a 
hundred pairs of shoes around behind the glass 
front and changing the assortment whenever he 
happens to see a circle around the moon. No, 
the modern retailer realizes that maximum win¬ 
dow display is a matter of store-front construc¬ 
tion, inside construction, window accessories, the 
best of trimming practices, very frequent 
changes of trim, window lighting, and so forth. 
He knows that only through attention to every 
such factor can he secure the most intensive 
development of store display as a selling force. 

Today, therefore, window advertising is re¬ 
ceiving more consideration with each turn of 
the clock. Manufacturers are doing their best 
to get retailers to use proper window displays, 
and retailers in general are showing themselves 
awake to the fact that the window is the most 


WINDOW DISPLAYS 


135 


valuable space in the store. It behooves the 
salesman to fall in line. He may be in total or 
partial charge of window-trimming, or he may 
help only through occasional suggestion. How¬ 
ever far removed he may be from the actual 
work, he can not afford to be ignorant regarding 
the theory and the practice of so vital a factor 
in merchandising success. 


WINDOW CONSTRUCTION 

INDIVIDUAL STORE FRONT 

Window display begins with the store front. 
The retail shoe salesman does not need to be 
acquainted with each of the many types of 
store fronts, but he ought to understand the 
tendency in store-front construction, because of 
the emphasis it places upon window display. 

The old-style store, large or small, had simply 
one or more windows along the front of the 
store, with a doorway set flush or perhaps two 
or three feet back. As a result the stores were 
all lined up like soldiers on parade, with little or 
no individuality. The modern store tries to have 
some distinctive front that makes a favorable 
contrast with those nearby. Contrast through 
color is decidedly limited, for even if a grocery 
chain does find red useful, shoe stores will 
hardly find it wise to create a general rainbow 
effect. The distinctiveness acquired by modern 


136 STORE DISPLAYS 

shoe-store fronts lies rather in the architectural 
design. 

The wise merchant, in planning a store front, 
tries to secure all the window-display space pos¬ 
sible. With a very wide frontage, he need only 
keep the windows along the street and perhaps 
add a canopy or marquee, for the front is dis¬ 
tinctive through mere size. The average re¬ 
tailer, with a twenty to fifty-foot front, has to 
adopt another plan. In order to get adequate 
display space, he should willingly give up some 
of the interior selling space and run back a deep 
vestibule. The window spaces along the sides 
of this vestibule then serve the double purpose 
of securing greater display and of drawing the 
people part way in off the street. 

To illustrate how far this idea of front dis¬ 
play can be carried, an example is shown in 
Figure 37. Only a rich, exclusive shop, however, 
would find it worth while to buy such a large and 
elaborate front. More in line with the needs of 
the average store are the fronts shown in Figure 
38. These illustrate the slanting window and the 
right-angled, cut-back window, each with a cen¬ 
ter entrance; and the side window with two 
doors and a show case between. Each type 
gives extensive display frontage (even if not on 
the street line); an inviting, roomy entrance¬ 
way, and a ready view of the goods. These 
factors appeal both to the man who is passing 
and to the man who steps in out of the rush of 


I 



/ 


FIGURE 37 
Extensive Front Display 



















FIGURE 38 
Types of Front Designs 





















































































































































































WINDOW DISPLAYS 


139 


traffic. There are numerous other types, with 
recesses in the side windows, with curved lines, 
with “island” show cases in spacious vestibules, 
and such like. Store-front manufacturers are 
expert in creating individualistic designs to suit 
different stores. But they are all to the same 
end — that the store, regardless of narrow 
width, may have a long, distinctive display space 
to beckon in the passer-by 

Some old-style fronts are less objectionable 
than others, but in the long run every store with 
such a front will profit from the installation of 
some phase of modern design. It is extremely 
difficult to make an appealing display, even with 
elegant fixtures and stock, in a run-down, old- 
fashioned front. It is too often like putting 
diamond studded links in soiled cuffs. The gen¬ 
eral effect is poor. Certainly it costs money to 
remodel a store front, but the expenditure is an 
investment, not an expense. It has been esti¬ 
mated that the old-style front is only fifty per 
cent as powerful a selling factor as the modern 
front with the maximum provision for inviting 
display. The cost of remodeling, therefore, is 
likely to be of little consequence in comparison 
with greater efficiency in winning trade. 

In passing, it may well be stated that in the 
design of a store front the name of the store 
should have due consideration. Some stores use 
only a sign above the awning or transom level, 
but such a sign cannot be easily seen except 


140 


STORE DISPLAYS 


from the opposite side of the street. In order 
that the passer-by cannot fail to see what name 
is associated with the window display, it is wise 
to have a name plate at a lower level. Some 
stores use a name design at the top of the win¬ 
dow, and others use small metal name plates 
below the bottom edge of the window pane. 
Either method is useful. What the store must 
not do is to place its name up in the middle of 
the glass. That spoils the effect of the display; 
it is like a streak across a painting. 

THE WINDOW ITSELF 

Three items of supreme importance need to be 
considered in connection with the inside con¬ 
struction of a store window: (i) That the ob¬ 
server’s attention is confined to the display; (2) 
that dust is excluded, and (3) that the store has 
ample light and air. 

Unless the window is closed at the back the 
observer’s attention is sure to be diverted from 
the display to movements in the store. He gets 
a confused view of both window and store, and 
his mind is less open to the appeal of the goods 
right in front of him. Furthermore, the win¬ 
dow needs to be closed at the top and to have a 
tightly sealed back, in order that dust may not 
accumulate to spoil the appearance of the dis¬ 
play. But the store must have air and light. 
Lastly, therefore, the window ceiling ought to 
be low enough so that ample space above is 


WINDOW DISPLAYS 141 

provided for lighting and ventilation from the 
front of the building. 

The drawings in Figure 38 and the cross sec- 



FIGURE 39 
Cross Section of Window 


tion in Figure 39 indicate how these objects are 
attained. If the store ceiling is exceptionally 





























142 


STORE DISPLAYS 


low it may not be feasible to have a separate 
ceiling for the window. In this case frosted or 
chipped glass can be used at the top of the win¬ 
dow back, so as to let light enter the store. 
Even clear glass may be used, but then special 
care must be taken lest this extend so low as to 
permit a distracting view of the store interior. 
An opaque back should always be provided 
to extend at least above the level of the ob¬ 
server’s eye. 

The parts of the window structure with which 
the retail salesman is concerned are the lighting 
fixtures, the valance, the background and the 
floor. The first two will be discussed in Chapter 
XII, but the last will be considered here. 

WINDOW BACKGROUND 

True, as some retailers say — a shoe store is 
not selling backgrounds. But the proper back¬ 
grounds help to sell footwear. Every store, 
therefore, should understand how to make its 
window backgrounds work to best advantage. 

In the selection of a background various points 
must be considered. Mirrors cause brightness 
and cheerfulness, and they magnify the display 
and add to the artistic appearance. On the 
other hand, they cause or intensify reflections on 
the window glass, show the backs of fixtures and 
tempt the observer to look beyond the goods at 
the images from the street. A highly-polished 


WINDOW DISPLAYS 


i43 


hardwood background has, to some extent, the 
same defects. 

A dull-finished hardwood background has ad¬ 
vantages and disadvantages. A plain ma¬ 
hogany, Circassian walnut or oak background is 
dignified and rich in appearance, but the darker 
it is, the gloomier is the window and the flatter 
its appearance with the average dark run of 
shoes. Moreover, a permanent hardwood finish 
makes no appeal for sustained interest in the 
store’s displays through variety in the back¬ 
grounds. It makes the front display bear the 
whole burden of indicating a change in trim, and 
this burden is heavy where only one commodity 
is exhibited. Nevertheless, hardwood back¬ 
grounds are being used with success where suffi¬ 
cient use is made of supplementary color to 
attract attention. 

Floor and fixture drapings in colored cloth help 
to vary the attention-value of a hardwood back¬ 
ground, but more relief from monotony comes 
from the use of variable colored backgrounds. 
There are temporary ones that can be used in 
front of the hardwood surface. They may be 
simply colored hangings in the rear; small indi¬ 
vidual-unit screens or panels covered with 
colored paper, of which several varieties in 
beautiful and unique design are on the market; 
or screens or panels from wall-board (coated 
wood-fibre panels, 3-16 inch or \ inch thick) and 
painted as desired. Or, if complete backgrounds 


144 


STORE DISPLAYS 


are wanted, they can be made in the form of 
wall-board settings or painted drop-curtains. 
Wall-board comes in panels 32 to 48 inches wide 
and 6 to 16 feet long, and it is readily cut or 
sawed into the sizes and shapes desired. 
Furthermore, it can easily be shifted and used 
over and over again. 

It is not necessary even to have a hardwood 
background for the basic structure. Wall-board 
on a f-inch wooden frame gives a serviceable 
back to the window. This material is better 
than mere felt, plush or any cloth over the frame, 
because these coverings are not dust-proof and 
also, in a short time, they allow the markings of 
the frame-work to show through. The wall- 
board can be colored with cold-water paint, 
which dries in a few minutes; or it is solid 
enough to be covered with any material and to 
carry any number of wooden, plaster or papier 
mache ornaments such as rosettes, pendants, 
festoons, and the like. 

Whether the basic background is of hardwood 
or wall-board, the important point is to have 
temporary backgrounds to slip in ahead occa¬ 
sionally for the sake of variety. Figure 40 il¬ 
lustrates the effects obtainable in this way. The 
top picture shows rear hangings of brown velour 
for autumn setting; the middle one shows a 
special Memorial Day background of wall- 
board, and the bottom one shows a wall-board 
lattice-work of a drop-scene in autumn tints. 


WINDOW DISPLAYS 


145 


Such backgrounds, with their liberal introduction 
of color and their many possibilities for differ¬ 
ences in design, are most useful for securing that 
touch of distinctiveness which attracts the eye. 

Any temporary background, however, should 
be so designed that it will express some definite 
idea in connection with footwear. The back¬ 
ground should directly concern the selling point 
the window decorator had in mind. The back¬ 
ground should help direct attention to the goods, 
not distract it to a foreign subject. It should 
never be forgotten that the object of the back¬ 
ground is not to present a masterpiece of art 
but to help sell shoes by putting them in an 
appropriate setting. 

HARMONIOUS FLOOR 

The floor also needs consideration. Many 
stores use a permanently inlaid wood base, 
whereas others use a permanent covering of 
plush, carpet or linoleum. Still others use a 
combination of a parquet border with a change¬ 
able center covering of felt, plush, velour, carpet 
or fancy paper, or a combination of a parquet 
floor with mats, of various sizes and shapes, of 
plush, velour, paper, and so forth. Even wall- 
board can be used for a temporary floor, either 
in large pieces or in parquet style, with small 
squares painted in two or more colors. 

A polished wooden floor harmonizes well with 
almost any colored background. Its only posi- 


146 


STORE DISPLAYS 


tive defect is that it may be too light to show off 
white goods well, or too dark to make black 
goods stand out. Whenever some floor cover¬ 
ing is added, to secure a clearer display or to 
obtain variety in window dressing, the decorator 
should see that is does not clash with the colors 
in the background. Floor mats and other floor 
coverings should match the background as 
closely as possible. 

VENTILATING THE WINDOW 

As a final comment upon window construction, 
a word should be said about means of preventing 
the glass from sweating and gathering frost. An 
excessive difference in temperature inside and 
outside the window causes the moisture to gather 
on the window, thus obscuring the sight of the 
display. To overcome this condition many pat¬ 
ents have been devised for ventilating the 
window space so that the temperature of the air 
on both sides of the glass is kept the same. The 
window space, of course, must be enclosed and 
air tight when these are used. 

Some stores that have experimented with 
these devices complain that the air vents from 
outside allow dust to enter. These stores, there¬ 
fore, seek to overcome steaming and frosting 
simply by making the window box absolutely 
air-tight. Doors leading to the window are made 
with double grooves, and every other precaution 
is taken. With the heat of the store thus kept 




FIGURE 40 

Special Background of Distinctive Type 

















FIGURE 41 

Home-Made Foundation Blocks 



FIGURE 42 

One Possibility with Foundation Blocks 



WINDOW DISPLAYS 


149 


out, the temperature in the window box is mostly 
regulated by the temperature of the window 
glass, because the glass is a better conductor of 
heat than the wooden back and top. The 
equalizing of inside and outside temperature, 
however, is naturally not so speedy by conduc¬ 
tion alone as it would be with direct ventilation 
also. 

If the window cannot be enclosed, the deco¬ 
rator can minimize the occurrence of steaming 
and frosting by treating the inside surface of 
the glass. A good method is to clean the glass 
thoroughly and then rub it with a chamois skin 
or soft cloth dipped in a solution of one ounce of 
glycerine to a pint of denatured alcohol. This 
treatment is inexpensive and not at all difficult. 


CHAPTER VIII 
WINDOW ACCESSORIES 

PROPER UNIT DISPLAYS 

When the window decorator has arranged 
for an appropriate background and a harmonious 
floor covering, his work is by no means done. 
Shoes are not subject to folds and shape forma¬ 
tions, and their display depends wholly upon 
their presentation to view. But the decorator 
must not simply set the shoes around on the 
floor. A one-level display, ordinarily, is too 
monotonous; it leaves the background too prom¬ 
inent and does not show off the rear goods 
to the best advantage. A most necessary ad¬ 
junct of effective display are the window acces¬ 
sories — the fixtures or decorations that serve 
to secure graduated height and a generally more 
pleasing appearance. 

The basis of successful window trimming is 
the fundamental unit. It may dominate as a 
central unit, or it may serve in multiples. In 
any case it needs window accessories for its 
preparation. These serve to bind the shoes in 
the unit into a coherent whole, and to give them 
the prominence that creates favorable attention. 


WINDOW ACCESSORIES 


151 


FOUNDATION BLOCKS 

The first step in securing graduated height 
for the window display is to prepare a set of 
foundation blocks. Figure 41 shows an inter¬ 
changeable set of nineteen fixtures, with some 
duplicated so that there are only eight distinct 
types of construction. With these nineteen 
pieces more than one hundred practical arrange¬ 
ments can be had, to say nothing of the addi¬ 
tional variations that can be obtained through 
the use of other fixtures and decorations. With 
such foundation blocks the decorator can readily 
change the entire effect of his display and there¬ 
by make a fresh impression upon the public. 

The set can be made by the decorator or his 
carpenter from composition board. It is con¬ 
structed with narrow wood strips sandwiched 
between wood-fibre surfaces. The measure¬ 
ments must be governed by the size of the dis¬ 
play space, but to indicate the relative propor¬ 
tions and the extent of the whole set the follow¬ 
ing set of instructions is given: 

No. 1 (two pieces are necessary for the set). This 
is 34 in. long, 32 in. wide and 3 in. thick. 

No. 2 (three pieces) is 30 in. long, 25 in. wide and 
3 in. thick. 

No. 3 (two pieces) is 22 in. long, 18 in. wide and 
3 in. thick. The distance from the corners to the curved 
cut-out is 7 in. 

No. 4 (two pieces) is a circular piece 23 in. along 
the straight edge, 7 in. high and 4 in. thick. 


152 


STORE DISPLAYS 


No. 5 (two pieces) is a pedestal 18 in. high, 7 in. 
wide and 7 in. deep. 

No. 6 (two pieces) is a flat board cut n in. X 11 
in. X 1 in. 

No. 7 (two pieces) is a triangular piece with one 
curved edge. The two straight sides measure 27 in. 
and 11 in. and the thickness is 3 in. 

No. 8 (four pieces) is a block 5 in. X 4 in. 

The pieces with curved lines, Nos. 3, 4 and 7, require 
wall-board. This can usually be bent by dampening 
it for a few minutes. 

The method of finishing off the various pieces will 
depend upon the decorator and the expense involved. 
Felt, velour, plush, paint or paper in imitation velour, 
wood, marble or onyx finish is often used. 

One of the many possibilities for a neat and 
attractive arrangement from such foundation 
blocks is indicated in Figure 42. A study of the 
design will show that it is made up of these 
blocks: Two No. 1, two No. 3, two No. 5, two 
No. 6 and one No. 4. The pieces were painted 
in French gray, a touch of decoration being 
added in the form of plaster base ornaments and 
a gold basket with red roses. 

The use of foundation blocks in this way gives 
a simple and artistic center unit which is most 
helpful in securing graduated height in the dis¬ 
play. In large windows more that one large unit 
can be used. 

GLASS FIXTURES 

A further variation in display can be secured 
through the use of glass fixtures, either with 




FIGURE 43 

A Few Accessories in Unit Displays 
























FIGURE 44 
Using Artificial Foliage 



FIGURE 45 

A Colored Fabric in Screen Construction 








WINDOW ACCESSORIES 


i55 


or without foundation blocks. Some decorators 
prefer glass shoe stands and glass shelves be¬ 
cause their brilliancy lights up the window and 
they obscure the background the least. 

An advantage of the glass fixture is that it 
is easily maintained in a state of freshness and 
newness. One has to beware of finger prints, 
but all in all the up-keep expense is almost noth¬ 
ing, except for a small percentage of breakage. 
Even this costs no more than the deterioration 
of wood or metal. Still another advantage is 
that the glass fixture simplifies at once the prob¬ 
lem of color harmony, because it is neutral and 
fits any background, floor and decoration. 

WOODEN AND METAL FIXTURES 

For stores that desire very strong, practical 
fixtures in addition to their own foundation 
units, the metal fixtures generally prove the 
best. Various finishes are available, such as 
nickel, gun metal, monumental bronze, oxidized 
copper, oxidized brass, polished brass, etc. In 
all, the tendency is toward plain, dignified 
designs, for the day of filigree pattern has 
passed. 

For exclusive displays wood fixtures are 
usually preferred, as they can be obtained in 
finishes to match or harmonize with the rich 
woodwork of the background and the floor. 
Within the last few years the various types 
of “period” wood fixtures, such as the Adam, 


STORE DISPLAYS 


156 

Classic, Colonial, William and Mary, and Louis 
XVI designs, have gained considerably in popu¬ 
larity. These period fixtures give a distinctly 
aristocratic touch to the display without in¬ 
fringing upon the main purpose — the playing 
up of the shoes. 

VARIETY OF DESIGNS 

Just a glimpse of the possible fixtures that 
may be procured is given in Figure 43. There 
are hundreds of secondary glass, metal and 
wooden fixtures from which the decorator can 
choose appropriate ones for varying his displays 
either with or without foundation blocks. No 
longer is there any excuse for dumping shoes 
down in haphazard fashion or for hanging them 
up on unsightly wires. Even the most modest 
store can find up-to-date fixtures within reach 
of its pocketbook. 

Some fixtures are nothing more than standards 
with small sole and heel supports that do not 
show beneath the shoes. Other fixtures have 
flat surfaces that extend beyond the soles. The 
latter type is preferred by many because it gives 
to each shoe an individual background that 
serves to set off the lines more clearly. But 
aside from this point there are many distinctions 
among shoe stands. There are stands for single 
shoes and for pairs; high, medium and low 
stands; double, triple and multiple pair stands; 
display tables; plateaux with interchangeable 


WINDOW ACCESSORIES 


iS7 


legs; pedestals, and shelves with fixed or pedestal 
supports. Then, too, there are other accessories, 
such as heel rests, stands for hosiery display, 
holders for window cards and vases for flowers. 
In each item there are many varieties of models. 

It is well worth the time and effort of every 
decorator to examine carefully the catalogs of 
window-fixture manufacturers in order to see 
what the best thought and experience in shoe 
retailing have developed for his use. 

HOME-MADE ACCESSORIES 

Some of the smaller stores cannot afford the 
elaborate fixtures of their city brothers, but 
that fact should not prevent them from trying 
to develop effective substitutes to supplement 
the standard fixtures. When unique and practi¬ 
cal fixtures can be made from cardboard and 
wall-board at little effort and expense, a decora¬ 
tor has only himself to blame for displays 
of an everlasting sameness. Even in the 
largest store, too, the trimmer who is in 
search for novelty will find it advisable to 
discard occasionally the regular glass, metal or 
wooden fixtures and use a trim on stands of his 
own construction. For instance, one decorator 
made some attractive stands by taking two wall- 
board ovals (11 inches X 5^ inches for top and 
bottom) and attaching flexible cardboard on 
the side by means of heavy pins. With a little 
care he secured perfectly rigid stands. By vary- 


STORE DISPLAYS 


158 

ing the width of the side cardboard, he made 
stands from 4 inches to 24 inches high. Each 
one he covered with plush, although felt, burlap, 
cretonne, imitation tapestry, etc., might have 
been used. For a finishing touch he tied a 
ribbon around the stand, above the center, or, 
on some, a gold cord at the top edge. With 
pumps on the top, or one pump on top and one 
on the floor alongside, and with hosiery trail¬ 
ing over some stands, he secured an attractive 
total. 

This idea could be used to develop a striking 
black and white display. A black and white 
background, a white floor with black shoes on 
it, and black stands with white shoes, would 
gives a very unusual display. A band of black 
and white checked ribbon around each stand 
would add to the effect. In general, a white 
mat under shoes is useful whenever the color 
scheme in the window is dark. 

Another decorator secured a variation in 
stands by covering oblong panels of f-inch wood 
with cretonne. Some he mounted on regular 
fixture bases, and some he used on the floor, 
easel-fashion with a nail in one end to tilt them 
up from the floor. A drape of cretonne from the 
highest fixture put the finishing touch upon a 
very pretty unit. At other times he varied this 
idea by using stand coverings of other fabrics, 
velour, paper, cardboard, etc., either in plain 
form or with a black or gold border. 


WINDOW ACCESSORIES 


i59 


A third decorator did not make anything, but 
he realized that the time had come for “some¬ 
thing different.” So he borrowed a parasol and 
a rattan chair upholstered in cretonne. Then 
he placed on the seat a carton with the shoes and 
some hosiery part-way out, as if the customer 
had just gotten home with her purchase and had 
opened up the package to delight her eye again 
with the contents. This central unit was simple, 
but by its suggestivesness it helped to create 
desire. A department store, with its wide 
variety of merchandise, is ideally equipped for 
making such special trims; but even the specialty 
store, as the foregoing case shows, can get the 
materials if it has the idea. 

Such examples might be multiplied, but their 
moral must be plain. Shoes always look the 
same. Standard fixtures, unless the store can 
afford a wide variety, tend to look the same. It 
is the duty of the decorator, therefore, not to 
be forever content with a few standard fixtures 
but to see what he can devise to supplement 
these at opportune times. He has no excuse for 
letting people get the idea that he never has any¬ 
thing original in his displays. 

USING ARTIFICIAL FOLIAGE 

No more effective aid to seasonable displays 
can be devised than the addition of artificial 
leaves or flowers to the background, floor or 


160 STORE DISPLAYS 

fixtures. They can be used in baskets, in vases 
or on shoe stands, or in pendants, festoons or 
trimmings on screens and background panels. 
If they are in harmony with the time of year and 
are not used lavishly, they add to rather than 
detract from the merchandise exhibited. They 
suggest not only timeliness but newness of 
the display and the merchandise. 

Real flowers like cherry blossoms or roses can 
sometimes be used at little if any cost, but they 
require changing at least every other day. In 
general, artificial leaves and flowers can be pur¬ 
chased from manufacturers of decorative mate¬ 
rial at so low a cost that it hardly pays to bother 
with securing and changing the natural ones. 
Besides, the artificial stock can be stored and 
used again, so that the display cost is further re¬ 
duced. In the effort to keep down costs, how¬ 
ever, the decorator should not allow himself to 
look with too lenient an eye upon the old foliage. 
Faded and dilapidated decorations are a big 
drawback. 

In selecting artificial foliage the decorator 
should make it a point to choose varieties that 
are close to nature. He does not have to take 
a course in botany. All he needs to do is to cast 
an observant eye around him when he is out¬ 
doors, and to apply the common sense which tells 
him that apple blossoms do not grow on vines 
or daisies on trees. If manufacturers want to 
produce such nature fakes, that is no reason why 


WINDOW ACCESSORIES 161 

the shoe store should buy them. There are 
enough realistic creations to give a wide choice. 

In using artificial foliage the decorator should 
bear in mind that he is not trimming a florist’s 
window. Footwear, not foliage, is his stock 
in trade. The foliage, therefore, should not be 
used so profusely as to give a plastered and 
confused effect, drawing attention from the mer¬ 
chandise. Furthermore, the decorator should 
remember that what foliage he does use should 
not be directed toward all points of the compass. 
In nature the upper part of a leaf or flower 
turns toward the sun. For this reason it is ad¬ 
visable to imagine a spot-light in the upper 
center of the window and to arrange the foliage 
so as to have the “faces” turned toward this. 

Sometimes a home-made plateau and flower 
vase, covered with bark paper, and a bouquet 
tied with ribbon will give a simple center unit 
that will add much life to the display. At other 
times a more complex use of the foliage idea is 
desirable. Just to cite one example, the Japanese 
style of decoration with cherry blossoms can be 
used effectively in the spring and summer. 
Notice how this motif is used in Figure 44. The 
crepe paper in the top panel shows the cherry 
blossom design, and the blossoms in the Japanese 
basket vase give a touch of reality to the dis¬ 
play. Incidentally the inexpensive Japanese 
fans make a good, out-of-the-ordinary backing 
for the shoes. 


i 62 


STORE DISPLAYS 


COLORED FABRICS AND SKINS 

Colored fabrics are often useful in making 
drapings from pedestals or plateaux or in pre¬ 
paring screens back of unit displays. With a 
hardwood floor, a piece of plush or velour often 
serves effectively when used for the top of a 
plateau and arranged to hang down for a floor 
mat in front. Another of the uses of fabrics is 
in the making of special coverings for shoe 
stands, as mentioned before. Still another is to 
put a small velour or silk cushion on the floor 
as the base for an extra pair of pumps or for 
buckles. 

A striking example of a more extensive use of 
colored fabrics is given in Figure 45, where in¬ 
expensive cretonne was used for a unit screen. 
Here cretonne hangings and an overhead piece 
or valance, on a simple wooden frame backed 
by a plain, harmonious color, constituted the 
main structure. The panes of glass were indi¬ 
cated simply by white tapes. The lamp shade 
was made of crepe paper on a wire frame 
mo'unted on a wooden fixture base, a motif 
from the cretonne being pasted on each 
panel of the shade. A cretonne draping from 
the center of the pedestal along the floor com¬ 
pleted a beautiful summer setting. 

The decorator certainly should not overlook 
the opportunity to use cloth materials of new 
designs. Men do not care much about such an 


WINDOW ACCESSORIES 163 

accessory, but the attention of women is quickly 
caught by this means. If a Russian motif is 
paramount in women’s dress, the decorator may 
well get a piece of vivid Russian cloth; if Scotch, 
a plaid, and so forth. The display then uses 
the persuasive language of fashion. 

Leather also is useful in giving distinctiveness 
to a window. As coverings for shoe stands and 
plateaux, as drapings and as mats, skins in 
small sizes have an all-round usefulness in dis¬ 
play work. In one display the decorator secured 
variety by draping a skin over one oval shoe 
stand, by plaiting and tying another skin wit! 
a ribbon bow, for pinning in front of a pedestal, 
and by twisting a third skin around the standard 
of another shoe stand and spreading the end out 
on the floor. 

If the skins are of the same quality and color 
as the shoes displayed, as they should be in most 
cases, they are not best directly underneath the 
shoes, on acount of not showing off the stock 
sufficiently. A light mat well solves the diffi¬ 
culty. The wider use of skins, however, is as 
drapings and as floor mats for stands. 

ACCESSORIES SHOULD NOT DOMINATE 

Such fixtures and other accessories as have 
been mentioned are necessary for the proper 
construction of unit displays. It is not neces¬ 
sary to spend huge sums of money for such 
equipment. Neat and sightly accessories can 


STORE DISPLAYS 


164 

be purchased at nominal prices or can be in¬ 
expensively made at home. But adequate atten¬ 
tion must be paid to these factors in window dis¬ 
play, for the reason that they are the best means 
of spreading out the stock before the eye in 
graduated height and pleasing form. 

In all cases the window accessories should not 
dominate the merchandise. This means that 
they must not be too numerous or too elaborate, 
for then they would dominate through over-use. 
It also means that the accessories must not be 
out-worn, wobbly, unsightly or obsolete, for then 
they would dominate through incongruity. Neat, 
fresh-looking, up-to-date accessories — these are 
the ones that hold up the goods to view, attract 
the eye and hold it by the mere force of artistic 
display. 


CHAPTER IX 
TRIMMING THE WINDOW 
ADVANCE PLANNING 

The mere possession of a well-constructed 
window, suitable accessories and attractive mer¬ 
chandise is hardly sufficient to insure effective¬ 
ness in display. It is similar to the case of the 
boy with the clock pieces in the pan — much 
depends upon how they are put together. 

Trimming the window — that is, combining 
background, floor coverings, accessories and 
goods so as to produce an attractive picture of 
the goods — is a matter that requires advance 
planning. The successful decorator does not 
blindly start at one end of the window and just 
pile in stuff until the window looks full. He 
builds the window display part by part, from 
the background to the merchandise, making each 
move in accordance with a preconceived plan. 

A rough layout of the floor space is helpful as 
a preliminary guide. It serves to apportion the 
space from the background to the plate glass 
so that each class of shoes to be displayed has 
the proper amount of space and the proper 
position. Often it will be apparent at once that 
there are too many classes, or that some do not 
harmonize with the idea of the background. It 
is a great deal easier to make changes on paper 
i6 5 


i66 


STORE DISPLAYS 


than to go ahead at random and then have to 
shift goods and fixtures. 

A secondary sketch can be drawn, if desired, 
to show the floor arrangement of pedestals, 
tables, shelves, and so forth. The advantage 
of such a layout is that it enables the decorator 
to see how his supply of window accessories can 
best be divided among the different display 
areas. It allows him to arrange the fixtures 
with due regard for the height of trim and for 
the center of the window. 

The principle of the height of trim is simple. 
It calls for lower fixtures forward and higher 
fixtures back, ranging from the floor level to the 
eye level. If the window is deeper than four 
feet it may be found advisable to construct a 
special background so that the rear will be 
brought nearer the glass. 

The principle regarding the center is just as 
simple — balance the fixtures so that equal 
masses are equidistant from the center, and 
unequal masses at unequal distances; the larger 
mass closer. If the window space is broken up 
into special compartments by the store front de¬ 
sign, then there are various sub-central points 
to be considered also. 

ORDER OF TRIMMING 

When the decorator comes to the actual plac¬ 
ing of materials in the window box, he should 
begin with the special background design, if one 


TRIMMING THE WINDOW 167 

is to be used. Then he should lay whatever 
foundation blocks are to be used for the central 
display unit and subsidiary units. Next he 
should place the special floor coverings, and the 
pedestals, plateaux, stands, and so forth, in 
three or four heights, with whatever drapings 
are to be used. Lastly he should add the mer¬ 
chandise itself, upon the bases thus prepared. 

If the decorator has sketched the floor plan 
of the display, so that he knows what space 
allowances to make, he can construct the dis¬ 
play section by section, beginning with the cen¬ 
tral unit. If he has not made such a sketch he 
ought to place as many of the fixtures as possible 
before bringing in the merchandise. He may 
not be able to place all of them, on account of 
needing room for his movements, but he should 
try to place enough to test the balance of the 
trim. 

Guess methods are costly. An effective dis¬ 
play is arranged with the least expenditure of 
time and effort when it is planned in advance 
and executed in an orderly, systematic way in 
accordance with such plan. 

USE OF STOCK SHOES 

The stock used for window display should 
be in the best of condition. A damaged shoe 
in the window is not an inducement to the ob¬ 
server to go in and buy some other pair, per¬ 
fect though it may be. The window dresser 


i68 


STORE DISPLAYS 


should look over his display shoes carefully with 
the eye of a buyer. 

Display shoes, furthermore, should be from 
the regular stock. A store should keep away 
from the practice of buying “window shoes”; 
those it cannot handle regularly but which it 
thinks will catch the passing eye. The evil of 
such display is lessened if the salesman is allowed 
to say that there is only a certain size left in 
the novelty asked for, but that he will be glad 
to pull the pair out of the window if it will fit. 
If a “window shoe” cannot be touched, however, 
the result is bound to be bad. The customer 
is quick to sense that the store never has had a 
reasonable size run in that style, and that the 
display is merely a trick. 

The best policy is to show the shoes that are 
for sale at the moment. The other method, 
even under the most favorable conditions, is 
too likely to create the impression that the store 
is basing its window advertising upon falsehood. 
The truth about what goods are to be sold, as 
well as their qualities, is what counts. 

OVERCROWDING 

The merchant of old imagined that it was 
necessary to display at one time a representa¬ 
tive of every style in the store. The modern 
decorator, on the other hand, looks upon such 
a practice as a preventive of effectiveness. He 
is concerned with carrying out one idea in his 


TRIMMING THE WINDOW 


169 


display. This may or may not require the use 
of only one class or color of shoes. With some 
settings he can use blacks and whites, tans and 
dull leathers, and similar combinations. With 
others he will want all tans, all patents, all 
slippers, and so forth. Men’s and women’s 
shoes, of course, he always segregates. What¬ 
ever the setting, therefore, the modern decorator 
limits the use of stock to a few varieties that fit 
the general idea of display. In other words, he 
does not put his whole merchandise banquet 
upon the table at once but serves it in courses. 

Having decided what types of shoes he is to 
put in any display, the decorator must then con¬ 
sider the matter of how many pairs to use. He 
must place enough so that the shoe character 
of the window will hold the main attention, but 
not so many that the shoes will obscure floor, 
background and fixtures, and therefore nullify 
the attention-drawing power of these display 
factors. The fixtures should not be too close 
together, and the floor should not be covered 
with shoes “for full measure.” Some shoes on 
the lowest or floor level are usually desirable, 
but that is quite a different matter from over¬ 
crowding. In general there should be plenty 
of open space around each pair of shoes. Thus 
every detail of shape, finish and color can be 
readily examined. 

Between the minimum number of shoes that 
can be used without apparent emptiness lies a 


170 


STORE DISPLAYS 


range of quantities that suits stores of different 
types. The average store, with medium-priced 
stock, can use as many pairs as desired, pro¬ 
vided they do not give the impression of over¬ 
crowding, whereas the exclusive shops of high- 
priced merchandise will tend to display a few 
models set far apart. Moreover, the display 
based on style should naturally show fewer 
shoes, in order to give an opportunity for study¬ 
ing style lines from every angle, than a display 
based on a special sale, where variety is a more 
potent factor. In every case overcrowding de¬ 
feats the purpose of the display. It makes 
single pairs of shoes, which is what the customer 
buys, too difficult to distinguish and examine. 

ARRANGING THE PAIRS 

In general, the best way to display footwear is 
by pairs. If all shoes are shown singly, the 
prospective! customer receives only a half view, 
which seems unnatural. If there are so many 
styles scheduled for display that both rights 
and lefts cannot be handled, the decorator might 
better reduce the number of styles shown. It 
is not necessary to show every style in pair form. 
Occasionally a special single-shoe design may 
prove effective by reason of its diversity. For 
most cases, however, the pair display is pref¬ 
erable. 

In arranging pairs on the display bases, the 


TRIMMING THE WINDOW 171 

decorator sometimes places them in the theoreti¬ 
cally correct foot posture — in parallel form, not 
toeing out. The disadvantage of this method 
is that it gives to the display an artificiality 
which is not very appealing to the eye. One’s 
feet are scarcely ever lined up in military 
fashion, and the irregularity of the common¬ 
place is likely to be more atractive. One shoe 
slightly ahead of the other, or the heel of one 
placed against the instep of the other, or one 
raised on a heel rest, or one shoe on its side with 
the other elevated on its shank, or positions on 
the stands at different angles with the front of 
the window — such arrangements give relief 
from stiffness. 

FORMING SHOES 

In order to secure the best appearance for the 
most important part of the whole display, the 
shoes, the decorator should take care that the 
stock is properly formed. Where only the front 
of the shoe needs attention — in low shoes — 
one possible filler is paper. This, however, is 
too likely to give a lumpy appearance to the 
leather, unless tissue paper is used. But it takes 
a lot of such paper to fill, and a tight packing 
often throws out of harmony the lines of the 
shoe. Better is the solid wooden form, but this 
lacks flexibility. Best of all is the hollow form 
that can be adjusted to fit several sizes and 
widths. Variations in low and high arch for 


172 


STORE DISPLAYS 


women’s sizes and in high and low toe for men’s, 
women’s and misses’ sizes may be obtained. 

For forming tops, a simple pull in the right 
direction will accomplish much. If the decorator 
holds a well-lasted shoe by the heel and pulls 
the top upward, instead of trying to stretch 
it out sideways, the top will in most cases show 
perfect lines. The effect, however, is not per¬ 
manent. A cardboard form will keep the top 
straight up, but a better means of formation is 
some device that gives an upward pressure on the 
top. Some invisible form that can be adjusted 
so as to pull up on the top and eliminate wrinkles 
is most useful. 

Shoe-forming devices are refinements in dis¬ 
play work, but they are well worth having. Their 
cost is insignificant when spread over their pe¬ 
riod of useful life. Even if this were not so, they 
would be desirable because of the material aid 
they give in securing the greatest shoe attrac¬ 
tiveness. 

HOSIERY AND FINDINGS 

An Iowa retailer recently stated that probably 
ninety-eight per cent of the shoe stores in that 
state never display findings in their windows 
(hosiery presumably being excluded from the 
list). There is a reason, of course. When a 
window is trimmed, for the purpose of starting 
mental impressions toward the purchase of 
shoes, the presence of an irrelevant detail tends 


TRIMMING THE WINDOW 173 

to break the continuity of the impressions and to 
hinder action. Findings are an after-considera¬ 
tion to the person who wants shoes, and there¬ 
fore they are irrelevant to the shoe display. The 
more they are spread around among the shoes, 
the more they scatter the observer’s attention 
and restrict concentration upon the main idea. 

To be sure, some findings are useful aids at 
times. Spats draped or on leg forms, and 
buckles on small velour or silk cushions are 
often ornamental additions to the trim. Occa¬ 
sionally a unit display at one end of the window 
can be made up from laces, polishes, brushes, 
and so forth. For example, a unit of white 
dressings might be useful in July. And, of 
course, a special sale on findings might justify an 
entire display based on such merchandise. But 
as for scattering findings promiscuously among 
the shoes, this should not be done. 

From what has been said here, it should not 
be assumed that findings do not need display. 
They do, but they deserve a showing more in 
keeping with their importance. Shoes are pri¬ 
mary, and the window display is primary. Find¬ 
ings are secondary, and the display in show 
cases inside the store is secondary. There is 
the place for the main display of findings, to 
attract attention during or after the primary 
sale of shoes. 

Hosiery, however, has for window usage an 
importance all its own. Its delightful sheen or 


174 


STORE DISPLAYS 


its attractive colors give it value as drapery. 
Moreover, it is useful (over leg forms) in setting 
off special styles with straps or open work. For 
these reasons hosiery very frequently comes as 
a help to the display man if it harmonizes with 
the background and the decoration. 

SECURING COLOR HARMONY 

At various points in this volume, mention has 
been made of the use of color in advertising. 
Color is a life study. Consequently it is not 
possible to give here more than a few hints 
as to its proper use. These hints are advisable, 
however, because a knowledge of color schemes 
is of enormous value to the salesman who aspires 
to the development of true art in window dress¬ 
ing. Color is very necessary, also, in preparation 
of poster and booklet advertising where harmony 
and distinctiveness of color play such an im¬ 
portant part. Men may not think quite so 
much about color as do women, but in most cases 
color is extremely useful in giving life to display. 
It is not too much to say that the getting of 
the right color combination is the foundation 
of most successful window trims. 

White and black, to speak technically, are 
not colors. White is a combination of all colors, 
and black denotes the absence of color. The 
three basic or primary colors are red, yellow and 
blue. The next colors in rank, or the secondary 
ones, are made by a combination of any two 


TRIMMING THE WINDOW 175 

primary colors. Thus red and yellow make 
orange; yellow and blue make green, and red 
and blue make violet. The complement of any 
primary color (what the eye sees when it looks 
continuously at the primary one) is the 
secondary color composed of the other primary 
units. The complementary color of blue is 
orange; of red, green; of yellow, violet. When a 
primary color is used with its complement, both 
colors are at their greatest brilliancy. 

COMBINING COLORS 

In the mixing of colors, a tint is the result of 
adding white to any color. A shade is the result 
of adding black to any color. A tone is the 
result of mixing two colors. Thus pink is a 
tint of red; russet is a shade of red-orange, and 
yellowish-red is a tone of red. The light and 
dark tones of a single color will combine well, 
such as a red with a little yellow and a red with 
much yellow; but different tones of one color 
do not agree, as in the case of yellowish-red and 
bluish-red. 

This raises the question of harmony and con¬ 
trast. These two principles underlie all com¬ 
bining of colors — that is, placing two or more 
colors in contact or nearness as in advertising 
or window display. Contrast is utilized chiefly 
for the purpose of attracting attention. Har¬ 
mony produces a generally agreeable appearance 
and tends to hold attention. 


STORE DISPLAYS 


176 

Helpful suggestions for combining the more 
elementary colors can be secured from Figure 
46. Opposite colors in this diagram, such as 
indigo and yellow, are contrasts. Alternate 
colors, like red and yellow, are harmonious and 
blend well. Adjacent colors, like red and purple, 
clash. The first and third, or the third and 
fifth colors, from any starting point, give a pleas- 



FIGURE 46 

Basic Chart of Color Contrast and Harmony 


ing combination — for example, yellow, green 
and blue. Likewise the first, fourth and eighth 
colors, such as purple, yellow and blue, make 
strong combinations. Any other combinations 
are likely to be inharmonious. 

The so-called “colors” in the center of the 





TRIMMING THE WINDOW 177 

diagram will soften or intensify any of the colors 
outside. Black used next to colors makes them 
look lighter, but white makes them look darker 
and more intense. Gray (a combination of 
black and white) produces the same effects but 
to a less degree. When two colors do not make 
the most harmonious combination, the intro¬ 
duction of black, gray or white between them 
will relieve the discord. 

Another means of judging the harmony of 
colors for window display is given in Figure 
47. This is especially useful because it covers 
not only the most common fundamental colors 
but also various derivatives which the decorator 
may be called upon to handle. For “pink” he 
may use the “salmon” column; for “ivory,” the 
“cream” one, and for “pearl,” the “gray” one. 

APPROPRIATE COLORS 

Except in the case of unusual colors for 
women’s shoes, the same color scheme can be 
used for women’s as for men’s shoes. What 
this scheme shall be depends upon many factors. 
The two most important are the idea behind 
the display and the time of the year. One 
would hardly use a dainty pink for a setting of 
working shoes, or cold-looking white for a winter 
display (unless a snow scene), or blazing red in 
August, or orange for a St. Patrick’s day dis¬ 
play. Greens are appropriate for spring, and 
browns for autumn, and so it goes. The good 


i 7 8 


STORE DISPLAYS 



FIGURE 47 

Harmony of Colors for Window Trimming 













TRIMMING THE WINDOW 179 

sense of the decorator will generally tell him 
what to avoid and his understanding of realism 
in his background will tell him what basic colors 
to choose. The rest is a matter of contrast and 
harmony to secure and hold attention. 

CLEANLINESS FIRST AND LAST 

The presence of dirt in window display is a 
crime. It kills the display. No matter how ex¬ 
pensive the setting, the accessories and the stock, 
the display does not get across if it is soiled or 
if it has to be viewed through dirty windows. 
Consequently the display man, in each act of 
trimming, must make sure of cleanness in every 
detail. 

The plate-glass should be washed or rubbed 
down before the window is decorated. The 
permanent background and the floor should be 
dusted, and all finger marks should be erased or 
painted out from special backgrounds or screens. 
The fixtures, which are not largely covered up 
as in dry-goods and clothing displays, should 
be polished or touched up if tarnished, stained 
or scarred. 

Nor should care be relaxed after the window 
is trimmed. With frequent changes of trim 
there will not be much trouble with dust, but 
if any considerable amount accumulates it 
should be removed at once. The plate glass es¬ 
pecially must be kept bright and clear. If the 
window steams up and afterward looks cloudy 


i8o 


STORE DISPLAYS 


or streaked, it should be rubbed down with 
cheese-cloth or chamois. Even washing should 
not be put off if this is needed. One store 
washes its windows three times a day if it finds 
it necessary. 


CHAPTER X 

VARIATIONS IN WINDOW DISPLAYS 
CHANGING THE TRIM 

A weighty argument in favor of using a small 
number of shoes in window display is the fact 
that this practice gives an added incentive to 
change the window trim often. The fewer shoes 
used each time, the more displays need to be 
constructed to cover the whole stock. 

But even if it is not possible to have an en¬ 
tirely new set of styles for each trimming, the 
display needs frequent changing in order to keep 
people looking at the window. When the store 
window utters one message week in and week 
out, it is not long in outliving its usefulness. 
Repetition of the same story becomes monoto¬ 
nous. Consequently a continual impression of 
newness, secured through different backgrounds, 
and different accessories if possible, should be 
the aim of every decorator. 

The best rule is never to allow a display to 
stand longer than a week. Some stores are able 
to change twice a week and find that it pays. At 
least once a week is within the bounds of any 
store. 

The trimming should be done at night, when 
the store is closed. Otherwise the value of the 
window is lost at the very time when it should be 

181 


i82 


STORE DISPLAYS 


making sales. The idlers who stand around 
during the day to watch the decoration work 
are not likely customers. 

MOTIFS FOR DISPLAYS 

To arrange displays with weekly frequency, 
the decorator should lay out a schedule of trims 
and plan each one in advance. This is the way 
to secure variation with the least effort. 

Provided the decorator uses small amounts of 
goods and has a reasonable variety of window 
accessories, he can usually differentiate his dis¬ 
plays in these respects. Home-made accessories, 
as stated before, are very usful to this end. 
The window-factor that requires most study is 
the background. When a motif for this has 
been developed and applied, the remainder of 
the window can be based largely upon the prin¬ 
ciples of suitability and variation. Conse¬ 
quently, in further discussing window variations, 
the principal mention will be made of back¬ 
grounds. 

The best form of background is one that ex¬ 
presses timeliness. It may be directly connected 
with the news of the day — with “something 
everybody is talking about.” It may be based 
on a holiday, or upon general seasonableness. 
The backgrounds of the third sort serve for most 
of the year’s display work, directing attention 
by scenic drawings or artistic arrangement of 
the goods for use at each period of the year. 


VARIATIONS IN WINDOW DISPLAYS 183 

The holiday and special news backgrounds are 
inserted whenever feasible, to give special proof 
of alertness. 

To indicate some of the jumps that the dec¬ 
orator’s mind may make, a brief reference will 
be made here to the various background motif’s 
that may be used during the course of the year. 

JANUARY 

This is the month for a clearance sale, to get 
rid of odd lines and sizes after the Christmas 
trade. The old style of plastering the greater 
part of the store front with signs and posters 
for such an event is extinct among up-to-date 
stores. Instead, the decorator uses some novel 
background of a refined and attractive nature. 

Special background motifs during the month 
can be found in Franklin’s birthday on January 
17, McKinley’s birthday on January 29, and (in 
the South) the birthdays of Generals Lee and 
Jackson on January 19 and 21. Flags, shields, 
busts and plaques in varied array will be useful 
in such patriotic displays. 

FEBRUARY 

This month affords many good points for 
window trims. Ground Hog Day (February 
2), Lincoln’s birthday (February 12), St. Val¬ 
entine’s Day (February 14) and Washington’s 
birthday (February 22) are well worth notice 
with appropriate designs. Flag colors, pictures, 


STORE DISPLAYS 


184 

busts, etc., are again useful, with cut-out hearts, 
arrows, cupids, etc., for St. Valentine’s day. 
Washington’s birthday or thereabouts is the 
height of the social season and ballroom pumps 
and slippers should be featured prior to this 
date. 

Mardi Gras Day (February 24) gives a 
special topic in localities from which crowds 
are drawn to this celebrated New Orleans car¬ 
nival. And every fourth year (the years exactly 
divisible by four) the Leap Year idea should not 
be forgotten. It will pay to develop a special 
setting and perhaps offer a prize to the woman 
who makes the best suggestion or “proposal” 
on a given subject. Furthermore, February is 
the time for featuring scenes of skating, tobog¬ 
ganing and other winter sports in the northern 
climes, and southern scenes in the more exclu¬ 
sive stores whose patrons are wont to travel 
to the Sunny Southland. The latter settings 
may include palms, ferns, artificial oranges, 
pamphlets of the various southern resorts, photo¬ 
graphs of southern resort scenes, etc. 

MARCH AND APRIL 

This is the time when people think of spring 
footwear, and when the decorator should use 
displays that lead to and follow up the Easter 
idea of new styles. The reason for grouping 
March and April is that the date of Easter fluc¬ 
tuates widely. Easter falls upon the first Sun- 


VARIATIONS IN WINDOW DISPLAYS 185 

day after the full moon (calendar reckoning) 
that comes on or after March 21. Whenever 
Easter comes, however, the decorator should 
know about it and work up his March and April 
displays accordingly. 

Fill-in displays during the two months can be 
based on the several days that have special 
significance. March has St. Patrick’s day 
(March 17), with its color scheme of green and 
gold, and also every fourth year its Inauguration 
Day (March 4). April begins with All Fools’ 
Day. The motif of this may be used in a few 
jesting signs, but it must be most carefully 
handled lest customers be offended. Other 
special days are Thomas Jefferson’s birthday 
(April 13), Patriots’ Day (April 19) in Massa¬ 
chusetts, Memorial Day (April 26) in some 
Southern States, and General Grant’s birthday 
(April 27). 

MAY 

This is the best month of the spring season. 
“May walks,” lawn parties, and all sorts of 
school festivals encourage the sale of light foot¬ 
wear, and the summer sport goods begin to come 
into their own. Spring backgrounds need to be 
continued, with special attention to May Day 
(May 1) and Memorial Day (May 30). 

The fete of flowers on the first day of the 
month, with the charm of the May Pole and the 
dancing children, is widely observed and consti- 


i86 


STORE DISPLAYS 


tutes a good point of contact with the buying 
public. Memorial or Decoration Day also fur¬ 
nishes a worth-while motif. This day has come 
to be largely given over to sports, but the wise 
dealer will have the patriotic touch predominat¬ 
ing in his setting. 

JUNE 

This month of “perfect days” offers several 
unusual opportunities for window display. The 
idea of “brides and roses” can be utilized, with 
a showing of wedding slippers, “going away” 
shoes, boudoir slippers, house shoes, street shoes, 
sport shoes, etc., for the bride and the groom, 
and wedding shoes for the bridesmaids, flower 
girls and groomsmen. White and pastel tints, 
of course, form the color scheme. Similarly there 
can be worked out a setting for graduation days. 

June brings the beginning of the real summer 
trade and some buying of vacation footwear. 
The main emphasis should be on the regular low 
styles. Special days with which the setting can 
be tied up are Jefferson Davis’ birthday (June 
3) in the South; Flag Day (June 14), and 
Bunker Hill Day (June 17) in Massachusetts. 

JULY AND AUGUST 

The trade in these hot months tends to be¬ 
come somewhat slack, and it is up to the decora¬ 
tor to display strongly such lines as sporting, 
outing and evening footwear amid summer sur- 


VARIATIONS IN WINDOW DISPLAYS 187 


roundings. All the emphasis possible should 
be laid upon shoes for tennis, golf, yachting, 
bathing, camping, hiking and dancing at the 
resorts. For such displays appropriate acces¬ 
sories can often be borrowed from sporting goods 
stores. The regular low shoes, however, must 
not be forgotten, and earnest efforts should be 
made to clean out such stock (especially the 
white) by displaying it before the backgrounds 
that picturize the summer charm and coolness 
one would like to find. 

Independence Day (July 4) must not be 
passed without notice; a printed copy of 
the Declaration of Independence is an ad¬ 
mirable basis for the display. Perhaps there 
is an Old Home Week, too, which can 
be played up in scenic form. At any rate 
this period should not pass without one more 
special display — that for school shoes. The 
second week in August is none too soon to 
begin planning to secure the school trade. Late 
in this month, too, the store may conduct a 
clearance sale of summer styles. 

SEPTEMBER 

Labor Day (the first Monday in September) 
ends the summer season, theoretically. The 
weather has much to do with the closing down on 
summer styles, but rarely if ever will the display¬ 
ing of new fall merchandise begin later than 
September 15. With this change comes the 


i88 


STORE DISPLAYS 


transformation of the cool and airy effects of 
summer display into the warmness and cheerful¬ 
ness of autumn tones. 

Besides arranging for his fall opening and 
following this up in varied style, the decorator 
can give some attention to outing footwear. 
The seasons for tennis and golf do not end with 
the passing of August. Tennis may run along 
for a month or more, and golf enthusiasts defy 
everything except the heavy snows of winter. 
Appropriate September displays, therefore, will 
help to cut down the stocks in shoes for such 
sports. Then too, the hunting season is com¬ 
ing on, and timely backgrounds can be con¬ 
structed to fit. 

OCTOBER 

Golden October, with its cool, frosty weather, 
is the month of renewed business, when men and 
women in largest numbers are looking for the 
newest creations in footwear. Fresh back¬ 
grounds in the brilliant color schemes of nature 
help to impress upon the public the newness of 
the goods displayed. Moreover, now is the time 
to secure more benefit from hunting-shoe ad¬ 
vertising by using attractive follow-up displays. 

Columbus Day, a holiday in several states 
on October 12, can be used to emphasize the 
important “discoveries” in new goods that the 
public can make in the store. The old reli¬ 
able special display for October, however, is 


VARIATIONS IN WINDOW DISPLAYS 189 

for Hallowe’en (October 31). In the burnt 
orange and black setting for this time of spooks 
and witches, slippers and shoes for party wear 
can be displayed very attractively. 

NOVEMBER 

November offers excellent opportunities for 
the decorator to feature novel displays. Elec¬ 
tion Day (the first Tuesday after the first Mon¬ 
day), Armistice Day (November n), Thanks¬ 
giving day (the last Thursday), the climax of 
the football season, carnivals, etc., should pro¬ 
vide many ideas for out-of-the-ordinary displays. 

Thanksgiving day, with its many symbols of 
turkeys, corn, fruit, pumpkins, grain and autumn 
foliage, makes it easy to build a pleasing setting. 
Orange and green form an appropriate color 
scheme. 

DECEMBER 

Window display in December means Christ¬ 
mas display. The wise decorator does not wait 
until the last week before December 2 5 to begin 
his drive for Christmas trade. He starts with 
the month, and then keeps changing the setting 
and arrangement so that the shopper will not 
see “the same old things in the same old way” 
day by day until Christmas. 

The Christmas window will usually contain 
a light trim of boots, with most of the space for 
goods being given to the special gift lines like 


STORE DISPLAYS 


190 

house slippers, boudoir slippers, spats, hosiery 
and so forth. If gift certificates are provided, 
the idea of these should be played up strongly. 
The window should be as diversified as possible, 
for this is the one time of the year when the 
observer appreciates the maximum of sugges¬ 
tions. The demands of good display, however, 
still require that the decorator obey the rule 
against overcrowding. 

Of special designs and decorations for the 
Christmas setting there are any number. There 
are the fancy papers with all sorts of designs 
suited to the occasion. Then there are holly 
wreaths, sprigs of mistletoe, poinsettias, pine 
boughs, bells, fibre roping, red and green ribbons, 
metallics (colored bits of metal), diamond dust, 
etc., which can be used with Santa Claus, stars, 
reindeer and Christmas tree, to make excellent 
settings. The decorator should begin with a 
simple trim, forecasting Christmas day, and work 
up gradually to the last week’s display in full 
Christmas coloring and radiance. 

SPECIMEN BACKGROUNDS 

Lest it may seem that the work of making 
frequent changes in backgrounds is too burden¬ 
some, a showing is made here of a few examples 
to illustrate how easily the construction can be 
handled with modern materials. They are as 
follows: 


VARIATIONS IN WINDOW DISPLAYS 191 

Figure 48 shows a striking background for a January 
sale display. The billboard can be constructed from a 
strip of wall-board fastened to the two uprights. This 
is covered with white wrapping paper, or it is painted 
a cream white. The letters are produced in any color 
desired. The figures for the bill poster, the children 



FIGURE 48 

Background for a January Sale Display 

and the pail can readily be sketched on heavy card¬ 
board or wall-board, and then cut out and placed in 
position. 

The spring art background in Figure 49 has a cres¬ 
cent-shaped section cut from wall-board and braced at 
the back with wooden strips to make it firm. The center 
is then backed with a wide-mesh wire. The crescent 
is painted lavender, and the wire gold. The wire is then 
backed up with material the same color (lavender) as 
the crescent. The stand in front, made of wall-board 
and painted lavender, is about three inches deep. 
On top is a half section of a chopping bowl, painted gold 
and containing a dwarf tree or any floral decoration 



























192 


STORE DISPLAYS 


desired. The end structures are made in similar fashion, 
with festoons of fine foliage draped to the crescent. The 


FIGURE 49 

An Art Design for Lavender and Gold 




FIGURE so 

A Hunting Background for Autumn 


curtain at the back may be cream or white, the floor 
covering lavender. 

The fall sport setting in Figure 50 has a backing made 



























































VARIATIONS IN WINDOW DISPLAYS 193 

of slabs from a sawmill or woodyard. The deer’s head 
and plaques can be borrowed from a taxidermist or 
some local huntsman. The festoons are made of natural 
or artificial leaves. An old log, several colored autumn 
branches, some moss and ferns, and the gun may be 
arranged as indicated. 

A setting tied up with a particular day is shown in 
the Hallowe’en background of Figure 51. The center 



FIGURE 51 

A Setting for the Night of Witches 


panel is simply the top of an old packing box covered 
with orange crepe paper, with a two inch border of 
black crepe paper. The witch, clouds, moon and build¬ 
ing silhouettes are cut from plain black paper and 
pasted on. The two side boxes are shipping cases 
covered with orange crepe paper and striped with black. 
On top of each is a pumpkin lantern. The low box at 
the front is also in orange and black, with two cats 
cut out of plain black paper. A small sheaf of wheat 
is hung on each side of the large panel, and ears of 
yellow corn are used as heel rests. 





























194 


STORE DISPLAYS 


The construction of such backgrounds is not 
child’s play, but a decorator with a good eye and 
a stiff backbone does not hesitate to tackle the 
job. He may not be a cabinet-maker or an artist, 
but with practice and careful observation of 
attractive displays, wherever found, he can learn 
to secure results that will attract and please the 
eye. 

For any background he tries to construct, the 
decorator should bear in mind that gorgeous and 
intricate designs are not necessary for fine dis¬ 
play. Too much color and too many details dis¬ 
tract. The best effect to aim for is the richness 
of simplicity. 

SUGGESTIONS ON ALL SIDES 

The settings mentioned in this chapter are 
by no means all that can be used in shoe display. 
They serve to introduce the subject. Novel dis¬ 
plays based on some news report, on some local 
holiday or on some unusual idea of artistic ar¬ 
rangement can be devised continually to supple¬ 
ment the more common forms. 

The progressive trimmer follows the trade 
papers closely, for these are full of ideas for 
attractive window displays. Part of the service 
of such papers lies in their search for the most 
up-to-date and effective displays, and in their 
presentation of constructive ideas throughout 
each year in advance of the time for use. The 
decorator who wants displays that possess indi- 


VARIATIONS IN WINDOW DISPLAYS 195 


viduality without freakishness cannot afford to 
disregard the best thought of the industry as 
expressed in such papers. 

Nor can he afford to go around in his daily 
life with his eyes shut. There is no scarcity of 
suggestive material — it lies around every¬ 
where. The really clever display man is the one 
who can recognize a suggestion when he sees 
it and then work out an original adaptation of it 
to his own use. Perhaps the suggestion may lie 
in a picture, a bit of landscape, an ornamental 
gateway, a corner of a garden, a stage scene, the 
cover of a magazine, or any one of the thousand 
things with which he comes in contact almost 
every day. 

It would be the height of convenience if the 
decorator could sit down in a corner, ponder for 
two or three minutes and then develop in his 
mind a complete picture of a novel setting. This 
is far from being what actually happens, how¬ 
ever. A few ideas may “just come,” but most 
of them are the results of definite suggestions 
caused by seeing the products derived from the 
ideas of others. Adaptation and improvement, 
rather than creation, are the main work of the 
display man. This fact does not mean that no 
originality is used. Originality comes in turn¬ 
ing old ideas to new uses, and in finding a clear 
connection between new ideas and shoes. 

So the resourceful decorator may find sugges¬ 
tions for displays wherever he looks. He should 


STORE DISPLAYS 


196 

make a note as they come to him. He may be 
able to do this mentally, but it is safer and 
quicker in the long run to keep an “idea book.” 
This then is available at any moment to point 
the way to the display needed. Perhaps a nota¬ 
tion made years before contains the very idea 
that should now be worked into shape. It pays 
to be fore-handed. 

TIED UP WITH ADVERTISING 

In the pursuit of variety in window displays, 
as well as in printed advertising, it should never 
be forgotten that these two forms of store ad¬ 
vertising should speak the same general message. 
The advertisement writer and the display man 
should work in cooperation, the product of the 
two being fully tied together. It matters not 
who gets an advertising idea first; cooperation 
in carrying it out is the essential. A store should 
as far as possible display the shoes being adver¬ 
tised in print, and advertise in print the shoes 
being displayed in the window. 


CHAPTER XI 
SHOW CARDS 

THE FINAL TOUCH 

When the window display has been arranged 
the decorator usually needs something to sum up 
his message. He cannot, like the sidewalk 
“barker” of the second-hand shop, stand out in 
front to force his message into the ears of pass¬ 
ers-by, for this undignified approach would 
constitute annoyance and offence. Nor should 
he placidly sit back and leave it to the “tongues” 
of the shoes to make speech for him. But he 
can use a show card. Such a card is the hand 
that beckons to the passer-by. It is the sales¬ 
man of the window, presenting the store’s story 
just as it wants this told. 

The show card, it should be noted, is not a 
streamer pasted to the glass. Such a device, 
even if it did not actually cut off the view of 
an important part of the display, would focus 
the gaze upon the glass instead of drawing it 
inside. The show card is a panel placed in an 
open position near enough to the front of the 
window to attract attention, but still close 
enough to the goods to make its message seem 
a very part of them. It looks best when it 
stands up on some one of the available easels or 
holders. 


197 


STORE DISPLAYS 


198 

HELP TO ANY STORE 

Many retailers look upon show cards as un¬ 
necessary and as too trivial to bother with. The 
really smart store, however, uses every medium 
available for the betterment of business. If 
properly designed and worded, show cards are a 
big aid to any store. 

The store that depends upon wealthy trade 
needs cards of a dignified, very artistic type, 
fully in keeping with the style appeal of the 
goods. The store that serves the general public 
can use cards that are a little more flashy and 
not so elaborate. 

The small, single window cannot well handle 
more than one show card. The divided front, 
or any large window with more than one unit 
display area, may use more cards. It should 
be possible for the passer-by to get the message 
of a show card from any major section of 
the window display. When more than one card 
is used it is naturally desirable to have variety 
of expression and design. Different sizes may 
also be used, but it is better to maintain uniform 
shape for the sake of harmony. 

DEFINITE SELLING THOUGHT 

The best show card is one that gives a selling 
thought. Like the newspaper advertisement, 
the card should make a clear-cut appeal to a 
buying motive. The show card is flexible in 
size, being cut as required by the copy and the 


SHOW CARDS 


199 


size of lettering to be used. The standard bristol 
sheet, however, cuts conveniently into quarters, 
11 X 14 inches. In order that a show card of a 
size somewhere around this dimension may catch 
the passing eye, it needs readable and open dis¬ 
play. Because of these facts the selling message 
must be short. 

A pleasing appearance is essential to every 
show card, but the writer should beware of sub¬ 
stituting art for sales talk. The aim of a show 
card is not to make the observer so enraptured 
with its artistic qualities that he forgets such 
commonplace things as feet and shoes. The re¬ 
quirements of a good display, to be sure, are the 
same for the show card as for the printed ad¬ 
vertisement, but this means simply that every 
factor in the show card — wording, illustration, 
lettering, layout — must work together to sell 
some idea of goods or service. 

The points regarding copy and display, in the 
first half of this volume, are widely applicable 
to show card writing, but there are some special 
materials and practices that need mention. 
Show-card writing is really an art in itself, but 
the salesman can familiarize himself with its 
fundamentals by studying the following para¬ 
graphs. 

CARDBOARD 

Smooth-surfaced mat board (heavy card¬ 
board) is the best both for pen and for brush 


200 


STORE DISPLAYS 


lettering. Six or eight-ply bristol board (the 
coated kind commonly used) is not so good for 
neat lettering, but it is useful for speedy letter¬ 
ing on account of its slippery surface. 

Novelty boards, such as those with wood 
grain effects, usually will not take lettering. The 
only way to overcome this is to wash the surface 
with gasoline or wood alcohol, and then apply 
the lettering as soon as the card is dry. This 
treatment, however, dulls the finish so that the 
general appearance is less satisfactory than with 
other boards. A novelty board is best used as 
backing to give a border effect. 

For cutting cardboard small scissors are un¬ 
satisfactory because of the likelihood of an un¬ 
even or torn edge. The best implement is a 
sharp stencil knife or a heavy pair of up¬ 
holsterer’s shears. 

COLOR OF CARDS 

The white card with black lettering (occasion¬ 
ally the reverse) is favored at many stores. 
Such a card gives the height of contrast, and it 
fits any sort of setting. The very absence of 
color, however, requires that extra attention be 
given to the use of clever lettering and design to 
secure attractiveness. 

Although the black and white show card is 
very useful, strong reasons exist why the display 
man should be able to develop colored ones. 
Defects in lettering are not so apparent on a 


SHOW CARDS 


201 


colored background, and less trouble is ex¬ 
perienced in soiling And, of course, the color 
itself is attractive if, as it can be, it is properly 
selected to match the window display. 

Many card writers use two soft colors of mat 
board, one mounted over the other; the lower 
one forming the border. The card is then 
lettered in soft tones of a contrasting color. 
This idea can be applied to produce a most 
pleasant blending with the general display. 

LETTERING MATERIAL AND TOOLS 

Pens, brushes, inks, paints, a bottle of paste, 
soft and hard pencils, erasers, a large T square, 
a yard stick, irregular curves, thumb tacks and 
a drawing board or sloping surface to work on, 
constitute the materials and tools for preparing 
show cards. 

Pens, which are easier to use than brushes and 
are especially desirable for finer and more deli¬ 
cate work, come in several practical styles. The 
script pen is square at the end. With it the 
user can execute thin and thick lettering with 
proper manipulation. The music pen (made in 
only one size) has two splits in the point that 
permit considerable spread under pressure. 
Then there is the ball-pointed pen; and also 
the Payzant pen, which gives a letter like that 
made with speed pens. The speed pen has a 
bent-up tip and an ink container fitted over the 
back. In general, India or drawing ink (not 


202 


STORE DISPLAYS 


the ordinary thin kind) is best suited for use 
with these varieties. 

Brushes, though often interchangeable with 
pens, are especially suitable for wider spread 
lettering in colors. Camel hair brushes are 
needed for oil colors but red sable ones should be 
used for water colors. Water colors are more 
suitable for show card work, and therefore a 
set of red sable brushes is usually sufficient. 
Nos. 2, 6 and 8 are most useful. 

For a thin black paint one may buy a jar of 
paint “in distemper” — that is, ground without 
mixture with gum. This paint comes in a thick 
paste, and mucilage or a syrupy solution of gum 
arabic must be added to “bind” the paint. It 
can then be thinned with water as desired. 

Until a few years ago the average card writer 
mixed his own colors by grinding dry colors in 
glue and water, with a little alcohol to “cut” 
the mixture. Today practically all card writers 
use the various prepared water colors on the 
market (black too, if desired). These prepara¬ 
tions must be thoroughly stirred before using. 
If the color is too thick, a few drops of water 
should be added. The paint should be of such 
consistency that it will drip slowly off when the 
brush is dipped and held over the jar. 

In using a pointed brush the writer should 
get it full of color and then remove the unneeded 
paint by drawing or rolling the brush gently over 
the edge of the jar. The brush should be charged 


SHOW CARDS 


203 


with color frequently so that a long stroke can 
be used. For outlining, the brush should be 
drawn along on its point with a uniform pressure. 
It is better to make a light line because this can 
be corrected more easily in case of error. For 
filling in the outline, from one quarter to two 
thirds of the brush surface should be used. For 
making rapid, one-stroke letters, the brush 
should be well filled with paint, unless a type of 
letter is used that requires a chisel edge. After 
using, brushes should be rinsed and laid flat. 
They should never be used to mix paint. 

HOLDING THE BRUSH 

Both the one-handed and the two-handed 
method of working with the brush are in use to¬ 
day. For everything except small tickets, the 
latter style is preferable. 

The two-handed procedure is this: Use the 
left hand as a rest, letting it st&nd “on edge” 
with the little finger at the bottom and the hand 
loosely closed. Place the right or brush hand on 
top in such a position that its little finger rests 
easily between the knuckles of the first and the 
second finger of the left hand. Swing the work¬ 
ing arm from the elbow, with the brush held 
loosely and in an almost upright position. On 
curves and large letters extend the swing to the 
shoulders. 

The position much used among amateurs for 
holding the brush in the fingers of the right hand 


204 


STORE DISPLAYS 


is the common one for pencil or pen writing. 
The professional card writer, however, closes 
his hand (without gripping) except for the first 
finger. This he extends out straight, and then 
he holds the brush between it and the end of 
his thumb. This position gives greater freedom 
to the index finger and permits the brush to 
be rolled in rounding corners on spur letters, 
ovals, and the like. 

PRACTICING WITH LETTERS 

To acquire skill in lettering one should begin 
with the practice of fundamental pen or brush 
strokes, such as are given in Line A of Figure 
52. He should take some heavy, smooth 
wrapping paper and with the T square rule a 
series of lines in pairs, say ii inches apart. Be¬ 
tween each pair of lines he should then practice 
making each fundamental stroke, in the direction 
of the arrow, trying to secure lines of uniform 
length, width and distance apart. He should 
continue with such practice until he gets the 
“swing” of lettering and can make clean, ac¬ 
curate strokes. 

When the new card writer can make his pen 
or brush behave, it is time to begin practice with 
the alphabet and numerals. Lines B and C in 
Figure 52 show upper and lower case stump 
alphabets, with no variation in width of stroke. 
Lines D and E show a modified alphabet which 
requires a little retouching or squaring up at the 


SHOW CARDS 


205 


beginning or end of the stroke. Lines F and G 
show a faster single-stroke alphabet made with 
ink a little thinner than for ordinary work. The 
writer should study the formation of the letters 

a. nmmm Mf « s 00hi KK mm 

b. ^$eteF€rtMWWOPRST<UVWX¥E 

c. Aabed&fsgfaj 4 f w -nopcji rg fiisv-w xy-%- 

D. mDEFmJKLMNOPQRSTUVmyZ 

E. abcdefghijKlmnopqrstuvwxyz.Shoes, 

f- mmuiMmofQ'RSTuv ifrx yz 

G. zbedefgfiljklmnopyrstuowxyz. 12345 678 $o 

FIGURE 52 

Fundamental Strokes and Single-Stroke Alphabets 

carefully and practice persistently until he can 
execute them with facility by the single-stroke 
method. 

ELABORATION 

In the more elaborate or outlined and filled- 
in letters there are two basic alphabets: The 
block or gothic, and the “thick and thin” or 
modified Roman. The block style, illustrated in 
Figure 53, is outlined, as shown in the case of K 
and R, and then filled in. This cut also indicates 
the general construction of skeleton letters and 
of shading. Shading lines should be slanted at 
an angle of forty-five degrees. Shading is an 


206 


STORE DISPLAYS 


effective method of emphasizing a special word 
or phrase, but it is being superseded by plain 

ABCDeramj 

stwvwxyz. 

$1234561890, 

FIGURE S3 

Block Letters, with Skeleton and Shaded Varieties 

letters of a different size because of their easier 
construction. 

The modified Roman alphabet in Figure 54 

ABCDEFGHMK 
LMNOPQRS TV 
VWXYZ. 

abcdefgh ijfclmn 
cpqrslu v iiJxyz. 

FIGURE 54 
Modified Roman Letters 

looks well aslant or upright, condensed or ex¬ 
tended. The size of the letters can be varied to 


SHOW CARDS 


207 


suit the demands of almost any work without 
losing beauty of contour. 

Show-card script, shown in Figure 55, is the 
most difficult of all alphabets, and it should 
never be used until the rudiments of lettering 





are thoroughly mastered. Expert writers can 
outline most of these letters with continuous 
strokes. 

There is a wide range in show card alphabets, 
from simple to fancy and freakish. If the writer 
secures the utmost of skill with the ones here 
reproduced, however, he will be able to turn out 
attractive work. What he must do is to study 


208 STORE DISPLAYS 

until his mind sees just how each letter should 
look, and practice until he can make his hand 
produce such a result. Speed is most desirable, 
and the student of this art should practice 
rapidly and boldly so as to develop the free, 
easily-gliding motion that makes both speed and 
artistic lettering possible. 

In the actual preparation of show cards, the 
writer must arrange his lettering with due regard 
for such factors of display as the optical center, 
margins, general white space, and so forth. Be¬ 
fore using ink or paint, he should rule in light 
lines with a hard pencil or piece of chalk to indi¬ 
cate the layout. In putting in the letters he 
should confine himself to one style. A second 
style of lettering is all right — for the next 
window display. 

ILLUSTRATIONS AND BORDERS 

What has already been said in Chapter III in 
regard to the value of illustrations is applicable 
to show cards. The matter of illustrations de¬ 
serves further discussion here, however, from the 
point of view of the method of procurement. It 
may be feasible for some chain stores to use a 
seasonal series of finely engraved show cards 
in several colors, but the average single store 
with new cards from day to day, or week to 
week, must look for simpler means of illustra¬ 
tion than engravings. It can find such means in 
pen or pencil drawings and in pasted-on pictures. 


SHOW CARDS 


209 


Newspapers, magazines, pictures, wall paper, 
and the like, frequently contain designs that can 
be used on show cards. The illustration can 
be traced and then gone over with a pen to give 
an ink drawing, with soft pencil to give a crayon 
effect, or with colors. If the illustration needs 
enlarging, this can easily be done by drawing 
small squares on it and the same number on the 
show card, and by sketching in similar lines 
in corresponding squares. If the illustration is 
of the right size and is suitable for use as it 
stands, it can be carefully cut out and pasted on 
bodily — a method very useful where colors are 
desired. The display man can find many appro¬ 
priate illustrations either inside or on the covers 
of his trade papers. These have the especial 
advantage of having been already chosen for 
their appropriateness in connection with shoes. 

PRACTICAL AIDS 

A specific “kink” regarding shoe illustrations 
should be known. If the display man has a 
half-tone illustration that he wishes to draw 
off in outline form, it will not pay him to try to 
sketch it free-hand unless he is a real artist. He 
can secure better results, and more quickly, by 
cutting out the whole picture and marking 
around the edge with a pencil. Then he should 
cut away successive portions, each time marking 
along what is left. The shaded portions in 
Figure 56 indicate the pieces cut off. With a 


210 


STORE DISPLAYS 


little free-hand work on the laces and minor 
details, the result is as shown in “5.” 

Mention has already been made of the matter 
of securing a special border by using a larger 
backing of different cardboard. Another method 
of securing border effects is to cut out some con¬ 
ventional, open-work design and to paste this 
on a second matboard of contrasting shade; the 
lettering being inserted in the open panel in 
the center. Still another is to clip fancy borders 
from advertisements in the trade papers and 
paste these on the show cards. To reduce the 
size of any border, one has only to cut it at 
the middle of the four sides and overlap the ends 
as desired. 

If the card writer wishes special art work on 
a border (or panel), he can use the air-brush 
or spatter method. The air brush, which blows 
out liquid color and gives a uniform or graded 
shading, produces a pretty effect and is useful 
for rush work, but it costs too much for the be¬ 
ginner. Even the novice can buy spatter-work 
equipment, however, for all he needs is a tooth¬ 
brush and a match or small stick. The pro¬ 
cedure is simply to cut a mask from paper or 
old cardboard to protect the part not to be spat¬ 
tered; to saturate the brush with drawing ink 
and hold it bristles upward over the unmasked 
part, and then draw the match or stick over the 
bristles. The result is to produce fine dots and 
splashes of ink over the unprotected surface. 



FIGURE 56 

A Simple Method for Drawing Shoes 



7/w BestSfc** Go 



Mgidrr in siy/e- 
j?egu/ar in wearing 

qualities — 

b 



Up hill and down dale 
Do your tramping In 
$rade shoe*- bought here 



Flexible Footwear 
For Flying Feet 


Trot easily an J lightly 
in our dancing pumps 


c 


d 




A Fair Price 

is one hi£!i enough 
to insure quafity- 

fess is poor 
economy.;. 

. 


FIGURE 57 

Some Varieties of Show Cards 


























SHOW CARDS 


213 


The only two things to guard against are having 
so much ink on the brush that a large blot re¬ 
sults, and allowing the mask edges to turn up 
so that ink gets underneath. 

Various examples of show cards are repro¬ 
duced in Figure 57. The top two, “a” and “b,” 
show respectively a black ink pen illustration 
and a colored illustration pasted on. Those in 
the middle are simple sketches in black and 
white. At the bottom “e” shows the use of a 
fancy border from a trade paper, and “f” illus¬ 
trates a spatter-work border. 

CHANGING SHOW CARDS 

The text of the show card and the colors 
used in its preparation are determined by the 
general character of the window display, but the 
same display may permit several types of show 
cards. Therefore, instead of being changed sim¬ 
ply as the window display is changed, the show 
card may be varied more frequently if desired. 
There is no rule in the matter, but the cards are 
not very expensive and the store can usually 
afford to use just as many cards as there are 
effective selling thoughts conceived. A new 
show card and a rearrangement of window acces¬ 
sories will do much to overcome the diminishing 
attractiveness of a continued background, 
though this fact must not be taken as a justi¬ 
fication for laggard construction of fresh back¬ 
grounds. 


214 STORE DISPLAYS 

It seems hardly necessary to add that the dis¬ 
play man should never use shop-worn or out-of- 
season show cards, or crude ones. Cards get 
dirty, and the novice must practice, but what 
goes before the public should always be fresh, 
clean and well-done. 

PRICE TICKETS 

When the shoes on exhibition are all of one 
price, the show card can satisfactorily handle 
the announcement of price. But where shoes of 
various prices are shown, the question arises as 
to the advisability of a price ticket on each pair. 

Opinions differ as to the use of such tickets, 
but the best thought seems to be that there are 
the same reasons for mentioning prices in the 
window display as in newspaper advertisements. 
The exclusive store, whose customers do not 
consider price, may ignore price as a display 
element, but the average store should tell the 
truth frankly. Many people are reluctant to 
step into a store to ask the price, and thus run 
the risk of having to confess insufficient money. 
Some women will ask, but few men will. And 
for one person who does ask and is hypnotized 
into buying what he knows he cannot afford 
there are ten who could buy but who pass on, 
imagining that the price is too high. In general, 
therefore, price tickets should be considered an 
invaluable part of the window trim. 

The usual price ticket is small, not longer than 


SHOW CARDS 


215 

three or four inches. It may be a piece of 
plain cardboard with lettering, or a piece 
with a simple or fancy border and lettering. 
The text consists of the price with perhaps a 
word or two regarding the cut or material, and 
the name or style number for purpose of easy 
identification. The majority of professional 
card writers prepare these tickets with a pen, 
using a No. 2 brush for the price or display line. 
When making several tickets of one pattern, 
they cut out the lettering on the first one and 
use this as a stencil for marking the layout on 
all the others. This gives speed and unformity. 


CHAPTER XII 
INTERIOR DISPLAY 

INSIDE TRIM HELPS SALES 

Until a few years ago not one in fifty shoe 
retailers gave serious thought to the value of' 
interior display, but today the progressive store 
overlooks no means of increasing sales. The 
interior display works to this very end, for any 
sort of attractiveness within the store helps to 
make a better foundation upon which the sales¬ 
man can build an effective sales talk. 

The major unit in fixtures for interior display 
is the show case. What should be put in it? 
Shoes? Some shoes may well be used, but the 
extent of such display is largely dependent upon 
the type of store. In the department store the 
window is far removed from most departments, 
and the shoe department needs to make such a 
show case display of its goods as will attract the 
passing shoppers. In the case of the specialty 
shoe store there is comparatively little of the 
“going in and looking around” practice. People 
who just want to see what the store has, do it 
by means of “window shopping.” 

In the average store the function of the in¬ 
side show case is not so much to help sell the 
shoes on display in the window as to increase 
sales by selling extra shoes and various acces- 

216 


INTERIOR DISPLAY 


217 


sories. With shoes the inside display, unlike that 
in the window, does not need unity. The desire 
should be not to display one special type of 
shoe but to form a harmonious series of various 
lines that may induce another purchase. The 
latest novelty shoe, the dancing pump, the bath¬ 
ing sandal, the sport shoe, the boudoir slipper, 
and the like — these should constitute the 
largest part of the window display of shoes. 
The inside show case of shoes, in short, should 
be a sample case. 

At the best, however, the interior display of 
shoes should take second place in extent to the 
display of shoe accessories. Hosiery and other 
findings are of secondary importance in window 
display and should be of primary importance 
in the show cases inside. Findings give a greater 
percentage of profit on a smaller investment 
than any other department, but the largest vol¬ 
ume of profit cannot be obtained without a 
quick turnover. A store, therefore, should make 
the very most of its opportunity to display find¬ 
ings so that every customer will have their time¬ 
liness brought attractively to mind. 

FRONT LOCATION OF SHOW CASES 

All this means that the display cases for shoes 
and findings should be located as close to the 
front of the store (if with one entrance), or as 
near to the center of activity as possible. 

The type of show cases to be used depends 


2 l8 


STORE DISPLAYS 


upon the store. There may be a straight floor 
case beside the entrance, or a semi-circular floor 
case facing it, inside. A useful form where a 
larger floor case is desired is the U-shaped one. 
All these show cases are sufficiently well known 
not to require description. The only point 
worthy of special mention is that the high 
wooden counter with low glass case on top is 
out-of-date. The modern floor case runs down 
to within a short distance from the floor, so that 
there can be two, three or even four levels of 
display shelves. It shows goods, not woodwork. 

Wall cases may be used also. A useful com¬ 
bination, where the floor layout permits, is wall 
cases behind floor cases. Thus a floor case might 
show shoes, hosiery, spats, and a few laces, 
polishes and so forth, with the main stock in 
the cabinet behind. If a center floor case is 
used, its display can be supplemented by means 
of wall sections among the carton sections at 
prominent points. 

CARE OF SHOW CASES 

Variety in trimming show cases is as essen¬ 
tial as in trimming windows. A change of the 
sample shoes and accessories is desirable when¬ 
ever the window trim is altered. The cloth or 
paper covering on the bottom shelf and any mats 
or small cushions used on upper shelves should 
be changed frequently. Over-display should be 
avoided. 


INTERIOR DISPLAY 219 

Show cards used in the floor cases should be 
varied so as to give an ever different appeal. 
They are, of course, quite necessary. They 
present, in inoffensive style, the idea of the extra 
purchase. Price tickets, too, are desirable, be¬ 
cause they give vital information for which the 
average customer is disinclined to ask. 

From the showcase itself to the smallest detail 
in it there must be neatness and cleanness. A 
topsy-turvy arrangement and dirt are foes to 
sales. They not only work against the extra 
sale but they produce a final impression of 
shiftlessness that certainly does not encourage 
the customer’s return. 

BARGAIN COUNTERS —SPECIAL BOOTHS 

Another type of interior display is the bargain 
counter or table for slow movers or odd lots. 
Ordinarily such goods will be retained in P. M. 
sections of the shelving, but occasionally, as at 
clearance sales, they may be put together in a 
“grab” lot. The bargain counter needs a fairly 
prominent position, a strong show card featur¬ 
ing the price, and the maintenance of order and 
neatness. 

A further variation, one that requires a more 
elaborate setting, is the special booth for a par¬ 
ticular line or for a particular occasion, or both. 
For instance, one of the best sales mediums 
during the Christmas rush is a booth for slippers 
and findings suitable for gifts. Nothing draws 


220 


STORE DISPLAYS 


the eye like a touch of color, and an artistically 
decorated booth will attract people from all 
parts of the store to look at the display. The 
only requirements are several narrow wooden 
strips, wall-board, crepe paper and such decora¬ 
tions as bells, roping, wreaths, vines, and so 
forth. 

GENERAL INSIDE TRIMMINGS 

The main part of the attractiveness within the 
store is the result of good taste in the selection 
of carton cases, furniture, floor coverings and 
wall colors. Such factors lie apart from the 
work of the store decorator, but often he can by 
little touches here and there secure a closer con¬ 
nection between window and store interior. 

Palms and ferns, with unit groupings of foot¬ 
wear as in the window may sometimes be used 
on the tops of the carton sections. A picture 
in the window may be supplemented by similar 
pictures over the ledges inside. A tennis and 
golf window may lead to the interior showing of 
golf bags, golf sticks, tennis rackets, and the 
like, borrowed from sporting goods dealers. 
Vases or clusters of flowers similar to those in 
the window are often useful. 

A more complex means of giving a decorative 
touch to the interior is an arch or pergola. A 
simple framework covered with wall-board and 
either painted or finished with marble paper, 
with a draping of artificial foliage, gives a 


INTERIOR DISPLAY 


221 


construction that is worth while on some really 
important occasion. 

Such final elements of display do not have a 
direct effect upon the sale of shoes, but they 
have an indirect one in that they keep up the 
impression of attractiveness created by the win¬ 
dow display. 

WINDOW AND STORE LIGHTING 
NIGHT SALESMANSHIP 

The work of the store window is not done 
when the shades of night begin to steal across 
the sky. Many people pass at night who have 
had no chance to do so in the day time. Even 
when the store closes in the late afternoon, 
therefore, it should not miss the great oppor¬ 
tunity to create desire for its goods by means of 
night displays. 

The store must be careful to provide lighting 
that shows up the goods, not the sidewalk. It 
should also provide lighting that makes looking 
at the goods easy. Both of these ideas are 
summed up in this rule — a bright light (but 
not too much) on the goods, and not in the eye. 

A dim light fails to promote window attrac¬ 
tiveness. People pass such a window without 
noticing it. A glaring light, on the other hand, 
is directly repellant, for it blinds the eye. These 
are the two extremes, both undesirable. In 
the middle lies strong illumination, from a con- 


22 2 


STORE DISPLAYS 


cealed source. Concealment, therefore is the 
first essential of modern window lighting. One 
store increased the attraction power of its win¬ 
dows from 12 per cent of the passers-by to 72 
per cent, or a 500 per cent gain, by eliminating 
exposed lamps. Such figures talk. 

CONCEALING THE LAMPS 

Electric lighting is the most modern means of 
illumination, and, therefore, it will be assumed 
here that electricity is used. If natural or arti¬ 
ficial gas, or such a substitute as acetylene is 
used, however, the principles of attractive light¬ 
ing still should be observed. Expert advice as 
to methods for such illuminants can be se¬ 
cured from the lighting company or the manu¬ 
facturer of lighting fixtures. 

The first step in the concealment of electric 
lamps is to place them at the top of the window 
close to the outside. But even such a position 
may not make them invisible from the sidewalk. 
Hence the next requirement is to drop a curtain 
to such a depth that its lower edge cuts off the 
view of the lights to a person standing upright 
even in contact with the window. 

A glance back at Figure 39 will indicate the 
position of the lamp and the curtain. The latter 
may be a regular curtain slightly dropped; or it 
may have the special form of a cloth valance, 
as shown in Figure 58, or a painted screen with 
transparent letters for the store’s name, etc. 


INTERIOR DISPLAY 


223 


A valance or transparency serves as an attrac¬ 
tive top-piece for the window during both night 
and day. The average depth is about twenty 
inches. 

There are innumerable valance patterns. 
Any store can easily find a practical design if it 
prefers this form to the transparency. Whether 
an elaborate or simple design should be used 



FIGURE 58 
A Typical Valance 


depends upon the exclusive or average character 
of the trade. The colors must be in harmony 
with the background and the fixtures. It is 
wise to avoid gaudy display and to select a 
neutral combination that will go well with most 
displays. 

CONTROLLING THE LIGHT 

The light in the window should be used on 
the goods in the most effective way. This means 
control over the rays emitted by the concealed 
lamps. It is not enough to have “some” reflec- 








2 24 STORE DISPLAYS 

tors to spread the rays in the general direction 
of the bottom of the window. Each lamp has 
certain definite work to perform, and a reflec¬ 
tor should be chosen to direct its rays to exactly 
the right spot. 

A lack of control over the light has often 
resulted in serious waste. The use of the valance 
eliminates the sidewalk lighting, one of the chief 
sources of waste in the past, but it is still neces¬ 
sary to see that the saved rays are best used. It 
is also necessary to see that light is not wasted 
on the window ceiling, or on an unimportant 
top of the background. After consideration has 
been given to these points, it has often been 
possible to eliminate losses of from thirty to 
fifty per cent in current consumption. 

Window spaces vary in shape, height and 
depth, and consequently require reflectors of 
different forms. The simple cone-shaped re¬ 
flector, that throws the light directly in front of 
it, is not suited for use in the angle behind the 
valance. It has long since given way to the 
curved reflector, of such curvature of side and 
diameter of mouth as to give the desired concen¬ 
tration of light rays. The 90 ° reflector, for ex¬ 
ample, is designed to illuminate a high trim 
without casting light toward the sidewalk. The 
narrow-angle reflector is suitable for a window 
where the background terminates part way up or 
has an upper section of transom glass. A still 
narrower reflector is intended for high, shallow 


INTERIOR DISPLAY 


225 


windows, and another type has been devised for 
open-back windows to minimize the glare into 
the store. In short, there are reflectors to fit all 
cases, and a careful choice should be made upon 
the basis of the light distribution desired. 

Perhaps there is a question at this point as 
to why the foot-light practice of the theatre is 
not suitable for shoe stores. When foot-lights 
are added to overhead lights, the result is flat¬ 
ness on account of the absence of shadow; the 
shadows cast by one set of lights being neutral¬ 
ized by the other lights. Foot-lights alone 
would give an unnatural reversal of shadows. 

Since the purpose of the window reflector is 
to direct light downward on the goods, the ordi¬ 
nary translucent form should be avoided because 
of its waste of light upward. Nevertheless there 
is a very valuable prismatic crystal reflector 
that allows ten per cent of the light to pass 
through to illuminate the valance but reflects 
the remainder to the goods with a high efficiency. 
Among opaque reflectors there are various sorts. 
Reflectors with a white enamel inner surface 
are not so long-lived as those with metallic re¬ 
flecting surfaces. Those with a dull-finished 
aluminum surface do not reflect half so much 
light as the silvered reflectors. Among the 
silvered type those with a quicksilver backing 
may deteriorate under changes of temperature. 
The metallic silver reflectors are more expensive 
but impervious to the ravages of depreciation. 


226 


STORE DISPLAYS 


AMOUNT OF LIGHT 

In the installing of window lights there are 
many engineering problems that can be properly 
solved only by one experienced in window illumi¬ 
nation. The height of mounting the units, the 
spacing of the units, the size and the type of 
lamp to be used, the type of reflector and its 
angle of mounting, etc., are important factors 
on which expert advice is advisable. Because 
of this fact, the manufacturers of window-light¬ 
ing equipment maintain engineering departments 
to give free advice. 

It is possible, however, to present a general 
idea of what constitutes the proper amount of 
light — that is, the light neither so dim nor so 
bright that the goods cannot be seen without 
eye strain. As one engineer expresses it, the 
minimum intensity that should be permitted for 
shoe window illumination will be produced by 
the use of 3 watts in lamp capacity for each 
square foot of floor area. An average intensity 
is represented by 7 watts per square foot, and 
the maximum intensity by 20 watts per square 
foot. When the blue-bulb or “daylight” lamps 
are used to bring out the true colors of satin or 
suede shoes, the wattage should be doubled. 
These lamps should not be used for the display 
of black or tan shoes. For such, the ordinary, 
softer light is satisfactory. 

The reason why different wattages are given 


INTERIOR DISPLAY 227 

above is that the colors of the setting and of the 
goods must be considered in arranging for the 
intensity of the illumination. The following 
table shows the percentage of light reflected by 
different colored surfaces: 


Dull black 

0% 

Pale blue 

3 °% 

Dark blue 

6i% 

Pale yellow 

40% 

Dark green 

10% 

Pale green 

46% 

Pale red 

16% 

Pale orange 

55 % 

Dark yellow 

20% 

White 

70% 


More light is absorbed by dark surfaces. 
Hence the darker the setting and the shoes, the 
more lamps required. The most efficient way 
to handle this matter is to have the wiring 
arranged so that some of the lamps can be turned 
off or on as desired. 

STORE LIGHTING 

Inside the store the matter of lighting needs 
just as careful attention. In show cases the prin¬ 
ciple of concealment should be followed, so as 
to shed light not in the eyes of the customers 
but only on the merchandise. Even for the 
store proper concealed lights are not impossible. 
In a newly built Philadelphia store the lights 
are hidden from view in a series of mahogany 
baskets on inlaid posts above the settees, and in 
grooves above the stock shelving. Reflectors 
below the lamps permit the utilization of every 
ray, and the reflection from the ceiling givek a 


228 


STORE DISPLAYS 


bright, easy-on-the-eye lighting in every corner. 

Another way to secure pleasurable lighting is 
to shut out the glare with some form of trans¬ 
lucent covering. This does not mean, however, 
to conceal the lamp location. Bare lamps within 
the store have a distractive effect upon the cus¬ 
tomer, and they are injurious to the eyes of the 
store workers. A bowl of semi-translucent glass 
below the lamp still leaves the general source of 
the light visible but so diffuses the rays as to 
change a harsh glare to a soft glow. Shades 
may also be used above the bowls, especially if 
the ceiling, by reason of color or irregularity, is 
not a good reflecting surface. 

To light a store uniformly the ceiling should 
be divided into as many equal rectangles or 
squares as there are fixtures to be used. A fixture 
should then be placed in the center of each sec¬ 
tion. The number of fixtures needed will be 
affected by the height at which they are hung. 
The higher they are, the fewer are needed. A 
good average rule is to have the distance from 
the bottom of the lamps to the floor such that 
this distance divided by three will equal the 
distance between the fixtures divided by five. 
Thus lamps twelve feet from the floor would be 
twenty feet apart — figure this out. 

It is wise to locate the lighting fixtures uni¬ 
formly, because of the more pleasing appearance, 
but it is not necessary to use the same size of 
lamp in all the fixtures. If more illumination is 


INTERIOR DISPLAY 


229 


desired for the fitting space, this can be secured 
by means of more lamps or higher wattage 
lamps in the bowls. One should always be 
careful, however, not to increase the illumina¬ 
tion in any spot too much. An effect of lights 
and shadows is undesirable. 

A store can avoid extremes in interior lighting 
by observing the points here mentioned. In 
order to insure the best possible effects at the 
lowest cost for current, however, it should seek 
the advice of illumination experts. Lighting 
companies have the benefits of scientific 
knowledge and years of experience, and they will 
welcome an opportunity to submit concrete 
suggestions. 

CARE OF LIGHTING EQUIPMENT 

Dust does not improve lights. One strange 
thing about many stores is that they will will¬ 
ingly spend money in washing windows to let 
daylight in but will make no effort to clean 
globes and reflectors so as to let artificial light 
out. Lighting companies are often subjected to 
criticism when all that is needed is a little soap, 
water and elbow grease. It need hardly be 
added that lighting fixtures also should be kept 
clean. 

Another point to be noted is that lights wear 
out gradually. It is a mistake to burn lights 
until they are giving off only half of their initial 
candlepower. The energy cost is the same and 


230 


STORE DISPLAYS 


the merchant should make it his business to get 
his money’s worth. Meters measure current — 
not light. By putting new lamps in one window 
or part of a window and viewing the result from 
across the street, the decorator can very readily 
determine whether the lighting has degenerated, 
and about how much. 

VITAL FACTORS IN SELLING 

The effective printed advertisement that goes 
out after the buyer; the attractive, well-kept 
window that beckons the passer-by in; the pleas¬ 
ing interior display that maintains and even 
strengthens the favorable impression already 
made — all these are designed to promote sales. 
They may do it immediately, or they may simply 
foster the good-will that means later sales. But 
sales are their primary object. The justification 
of harmony and all the other attributes of artis¬ 
tic appearance in any form of advertising is 
found only in the attracting of attention to the 
merchandise. Selling shoes is what advertising 
is for. And the sale of shoes is what advertising 
is certain to accomplish if handled with fore¬ 
sight, intelligence, care and persistence. 


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